Warner's Kari Jung reaches career milestone

When the final point was recorded during Warner’s Region 1B contest against Langford Area, two significant accomplishments were achieved. The first being Warner advancing into the Class B SoDak 16, and moving one win away from a return trip to the state tournament. The other was an individual achievement by Monarch’s head coach Kari Jung — 600 career wins.

If you know coach Jung, you know that records don’t really drive her to do what she continues to do since 1998, when she began coaching the Monarchs. And, while she thought there was a chance she could reach that mark this season, she was sure to keep her players in the dark.

“I’ll say this, it was more of a relief because it (600 wins) was bad timing coming into this season because I really didn’t know if I would get it,” Jung said. “I talked with my assistant, Bobbie (Deuter) in the fall and said I doubt it will happen this year because we’re so young that everything will need to be put together in the right spots, and that’s OK with me if I don’t get (600) as long as we get better.

“Then the match for (600 wins) happens, and before the match I told Bobbie not to tell the players. I didn’t want the match to be about about 600 wins, I wanted the players to go out and play like they’re capable of. I didn’t want them to feel any pressure that comes along with that type of record,” Jung said. “I’m glad it’s done now for sure, because now they’re just focused on playing (tonight).”

With an inexperienced group, fielding six underclassmen and two eighth-graders, the season began as one might expect — inconsistent. Warner was 3-5 through its first eight matches of the season. That changed, and when it did, it changed quickly. Since Oct. 3, the Monarchs are 18-1, with that one loss coming to Class A program Groton Area. Needless to say, Jung likes where her team is heading into its most significant match of the season.

“This group has gotten a lot smarter with game-planning and trying to do certain things defensively,” Jung said. “I felt like our practice (Monday) was way better than it’s been, and the girls were able to react and do things we asked of them better than two weeks ago, even. The way we responded defensively to certain hitters we wanted to defend a certain way — yeah, I like where we were are right now. I think we’re ready.”

In the Class B state title match a year ago, Warner dropped the first set to Northwestern, then rolled in three straight to take home her sixth-career state championship. Names like Laurie Rogers, Sydney Leidholt and Ashley Fischbach filled the stat sheets throughout the season. Predictably too, because they were part of a senior-laden Monarchs team. That was not the case this year for Warner, as Jung entered her 21st season on the bench with one senior and three juniors.

“This is by far the youngest team I’ve coached in Warner, yes,” Jung said. “They’ve grown so much because they’re just really working well together as a team right now. Our theme this year has been ‘The Power of Teamwork,’ and they like that theme and thought it would work because of how young we would be. They’re just very supportive of each other. Out ‘older’ kids, Summer Scepaniak in particular, has been so supportive to Ava (Nilsson), our eighth-grade libero. That leadership has really helped the younger girls get better, and we’ve had success because of it.”

Jung arrived at Warner originally to be an assistant coach for basketball and head coach for volleyball, which was still being played in the winter. The plan was, if the girls basketball coach at the time did not return, Jung could then become the head basketball coach, but as she discovered, “I just fell in love with coaching volleyball, right from the start, really.” That certainly paid off for the Warner program, but also for each player who’s gone through Monarchs volleyball. Coaching, right or wrong, is generally about wins and losses. For Jung, she’s put more than her share of “Ws” on the board. It’s the success of her players she views as the most important aspect of what she does.

“It’s just so much fun to see how many people have passion for what I have passion for and it’s a great feeling to see kids wanting to play or coach (volleyball),” Jung said. “To see Ashley Rozell finish up her career at Northern State, to see Carly Rozell now coaching in Parker, Laura Ochsner starting her career at Northern, Peyton Ellingson, I just grin inside because I’m so proud of them. To watch the girls when they first start playing and see them continually develop I just love it.”

That aforementioned trio of former Monarchs have put some of what Jung has taught to good use, as all three are currently a part of the seventh-nationally ranked Northern State volleyball program.

Redshirt senior Ashley Rozell credits Jung for giving her perhaps the most significant mindset one needs to succeed at the collegiate level.

“My desire to win, that’s something I learned from coach Jung that I’ve always taken with me when I step on the court,” Rozell said. “I know we had a lot of success at Warner, and a lot of that was because we didn’t like to lose. I still don’t. The drive to constantly be my best, that’s something (Jung) wanted to see from everyone.

“There weren’t just a couple teams or players (at Warner) that were successful; really, every team she coached just played their absolute best,” Rozell continued. “I’m very proud to say I was a part of 600 wins for Kari. She just wasn’t a great coach, but great mentor, someone I could look up to not solely in volleyball. She was just so invested in every girl who walked through the gym doors.”

Freshman Laura Ochsner concurred with Rozell on Jung’s ability “to push you to be the best player and teammate you could be.” That part of Jung’s approach extended beyond the court as well.

“Practice, matches, yeah they were pretty intense most of the time,” Ochsner said. “And that helped build the (Warner) program. But (Jung) also was very supportive off the court and in the classroom. She really wanted us to be at our best on and off the court. She just wanted everything to be great so we could be successful outside of volleyball, too. If she knew we could play at (the college) level (she knew) just what we needed to do and gave us really great advice on how to balance everything so we would be successful. It’s pretty awesome to realize you played for a coach that won 600 matches. I’m so grateful I had the opportunity to play for her.”

For Ellingson, her relationship with Jung spans beyond the court. Ellingson was recently sidelined with a knee injury for the Wolves, an experience she unfortunately had playing for Jung at Warner.

“When I had my injury in high school, coach Jung was such a great supporter for me, she really was,” Ellingson said. “It helped to have that connection with her, because I loved playing volleyball for her. It didn’t matter, in the classroom, at practice, she was always there to offer support, advice, anything. There’s no question she’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had and Warner is just so lucky to have her. She never sugar-coated anything, she told it like it was, and that was OK with me. It really helped me prepare for life after high school, and it’s pretty awesome to have that type of connection with her.”

As for her continued run along the sidelines for Warner, Jung does admit the idea of not coaching volleyball does creep inside her head. For her the answer is a fairly simple one, and so far, when push comes to shove, the answer to the question has been the affirmative.

“I love coaching, I do,” Jung said. “People often ask, ‘How much longer are you going to do it?’ and I just tell them not until I lose the excitement for the game. It’s just been that much fun. Every team has brought something unique in its own way to every season I’ve coached. I often wonder if, each year, I’m going to enjoy coaching as much as I have the year before, and every year the answer is yes.”

Jung and her Monarchs will face Freeman in the SoDak 16 at 6 p.m. in Huron.