Desire drives Palmer senior

April 24, 2005

JEREMIAH BARTZ/Frontiersman sports editor

PALMER - When Karaline Naegele began her volleyball career at Palmer High School, her family had not even moved to the Valley yet.

As her family prepared to move from Delta Junction to Palmer, Naegele was so intent on continuing her prep volleyball career in a Moose uniform, she commuted to practice for the first several weeks of the season. Early in her junior season, before the Moose squad played in any matches, most of the Palmer players at the end of the week would talk about their weekend plans - mostly things to do in the Valley - and Naegele would talk about having to make the drive home.

"I don't think we even realized that is what she was doing," Palmer head coach Steve Reynolds said.

But Naegele would make the six-hour drive back to Delta, a small community which lies about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks. Reynolds knew he had a transfer coming in from Delta High School, but had no idea how far Naegele had to go just to make it to practice.

That same desire to play volleyball that pushed Naegele to undertake the long commute has driven her to an opportunity to play at the college level. Last week Naegele signed a National Letter of Intent to play at Clarion University in western Pennsylvania.

Even though she has an older sister who played volleyball, Naegele said she didn't think the sport was for her. But then she gave it a try and was hooked.

"My sister played, and I thought it was such a stupid sport," said Naegele, who first favored basketball over volleyball. "Then I started playing and I really loved it."

Naegele started in the sixth grade and found an activity where she fit in. She continued at the prep level, capping a two-year career at Delta with all-region honors.

When Naegele first arrived at Palmer, Reynolds knew he was welcoming in a talented player.

"When she first came to tryouts, we noticed (her talent) right away. She could pass better than any of the other kids that age," Reynolds said.

And the opportunity to play, not only at Palmer High and the 4A level, but in the local recreational teams, allowed Naegele's game to excel. She played in the AVA and Midnight Sun programs in addition to her time with the Moose, and that, Naegele said, allowed her to really improve her specialized skills. She also saw time on the courts outside of Alaska, participating every summer in a camp in Michigan and traveling to Hawaii for a volleyball tournament.

The exposure to different levels of volleyball and coaches from across the country, helped acclimate Naegele to the expectations of programs on the next level and the recruiting process.

As she began to participate in the recruiting process, she pinpointed the Division II level, made a list of states in the country she would like to see and programs in those states she was interested in. She narrowed the list down to three - Clarion, Colorado College and Alaska Anchorage - and after visiting Colorado and Pennsylvania, Naegele decided to make Clarion and the Keystone State her next home.

"I wasn't really sure what I wanted. But I saw the area and liked the area," Naegele said.

She de-scribed Clarion, Penn., a town about two hours outside Pittsburgh, as a community with rolling green hills and a Palmerish feel.

And Clarion University is home of a winning volleyball program that finished 29-9 last season and advanced to the Division II playoffs. Head coach Tracey Fluharty has an 80-31 record in her four seasons as the Golden Eagle head coach.

Naegele will arrive at Clarion as an outside hitter who could be used on the defensive backline. During her prep career, Naegele spent time at a variety of positions. In her first season at Palmer, Naegele played middle hitter, a position the Moose were thin at. As a senior, Naegele moved back to the outside, where she played as a freshman and sophomore at Delta. Naegele said versatility was key in her search for a spot on a college roster.

"I put that down on my player resume. They saw me (on my tape) doing middle, back row, outside stuff. A variety in my skills," Naegele said.

"College coaches want someone they can stick in there for any position. Especially at the Division II level, players may not be as specialized."