DRAGON ATHLETICS
News
Dragons, Guenther match up perfectly
Aug 30, 2007 - 04:05:06 CDT
By CINDY PETERSON
Bismarck Tribune
Motivational speakers often offer encouragement that people can do anything they set their minds to.
Williston native Kelci Guenther doesn't having any problem heeding that bit of advice.
She's using her mind literally to succeed as a student-athlete at Minnesota State-Moorhead.
She excels in the classroom as a biology major, carrying a 4.0 GPA. She has emerged as one of MSU-M's top volleyball players and team leaders.
"She's continuing to grow and get better," MSU-M coach Tammy Blake-Kath said. "She's not done developing. We haven't seen her best yet."
Guenther, a 6-foot middle hitter, has helped get the Dragons off to a quick start. MSU-M started the season 3-0, including a victory over No. 18-ranked Nebraska-Omaha.
Against UNO, Guenther put down 11 kills. She's nailed 20 kills in three matches in her second year as a full-time starter.
"Ihave to work hard for the grades I get," said Guenther, who plans to attend optometry school after MSU-M. "If I work hard at it I can get the grades I want. If I have a test, I know I have a certain amount of studying I have to do."
Guenther's ability to learn has helped her excel on the court. Guenther played for one of the state's top high school programs, helping Williston to its first Class A state title in the fall of 2004.
Even though Guenther and the Coyotes dominated that season, there was still a learning curve when she arrived in the Dragons' program.
"It was a bigger jump than I thought,"Guenther said. "The game goes a lot faster. Everybody is always at the top of their game."
Since Guenther became accustomed to the speed of the college game, Blake-Kath has considered her an asset for the Dragons.
"With Kelci it's all about athleticism," Blake-Kath said. "We were looking at that when we recruited her. She's a big blocker. She's like the Energizer Bunny. She never gets tired. She keeps going and going."
Guenther, a junior, has been counted on to take a bigger leadership role, playing on a team with seven freshmen and three sophomores. Growing into a leadership role was something that took time for Guenther.
"In college everybody is used to being a leader on the team," she said. "When I first came in it was important to have upperclassmen show me how to do things. I'm trying to step into that role for working hard on and off the court."
Guenther chose to play volleyball at MSU-M because of its winning tradition. Playing for a successful team was something she grew accustomed to in high school.
"It was important for me to go into a successful program," Guenther said. "That's what I was used to and I wanted to continue with that. I had a chance to play with good athletes in high school. It helped me have an easier transition to this level."
