Two Rolfzens are Even Better than One

Candice Kasischke
Intern, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: candice.kasischke@usav.org

ATLANTA (June 30, 2011) – Any volleyball coach could ask: “What is more impressive than a 6-3, 17-year-old athlete that stands out even while playing at the highest level?” The answer is: two versions of that description.

Amber and Kadie Rolfzen (Papillion, Neb.), who are competing in the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships at the Georgia World Congress Center with Nebraska Juniors 17-1 in the 17 Open Division, are fraternal twins and three-sport athletes attending Papillion- La Vista South High School. Together, the Rolfzen girls play volleyball, basketball and run track.

When competing, the girls may be serious about their games. But when they are not, they show their personalities. Even though they may appear the same and are the best of friends, they also have very distinctive interests.

“Kadie is a girly girl,” Amber teased. “She dresses up all the time and she has a boyfriend and I don’t. She also only eats chicken and salads.”

“Well, Amber puts her hair in a ponytail every day,” Kadie replied. “We have two hair straighteners, but hers is never used. Also, she is better at basketball than I am.”

Even though the girls share different interests and enjoy playing all of their sports, they both have chosen to focus on volleyball.

The girls have already made quite the name for themselves in their volleyball careers. Both have verbally agreed to play at the University of Nebraska. When involving volleyball and the name of Rolfzen, it’s a two-for-one package deal.

“When Amber does something good in the front row, it forces me to want to do something in the back row,” Kadie said. “We work together and I love playing with her.”

“I always know where she is on the court, I guess it’s a twin thing,” Amber said. “We have both grown into talented players because we have played with more experienced girls and it has forced us to have to do our job. Playing at these tournaments is what is going to help us play better in high school.”

The twins led the U.S. Girls’ Youth Team to the gold-medal in the Women’s International Junior Division at the 2010 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships, which followed up a gold-medal medal performance in leading Nebraska Juniors 16-1 to the 2010 USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships in the 16 Open division. The duo believes that the competition is steeper this year and defending their title could be challenging.

“This year, the competition is a lot harder,” Kadie said. “The older we get, the better the teams are. The whole year we have been preparing for Nationals. Now that it is here, we feel a big weight on our shoulders to defend our titles. We always have to be playing at the top of our game.”

“Last year our team made a name for itself and now this year everyone wants to beat us,” Amber said. “We have to step up, rise to the occasion and play our game.”

The girls’ traveling won’t stop with playing at the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships in Atlanta. Due to earning a spot onto the 2011 U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team, the Rolfzen duo will be competing both nationally and internationally for the remainder of the summer.

“The funny thing is, we really don’t like traveling because we are scared of flying,” Kadie said. “We are still excited about playing in Tucson for the USAV High Performance Championships, training at Lake Placid (New York) and then competing with the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team in Turkey in the FIVB Girls’ Youth World Championships.”

Both agreed that they are looking forward especially to playing in Turkey. The duo voiced that certain emotions surface when wearing a USA jersey.

“The idea and actuality of playing for the USA is cool,” Amber said. “It gives me chills thinking about it. Competition-wise, it will be a whole lot different than it is when we play without clubs team. It is kind of crazy because the countries have been practicing a really long time together and our U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team only gets one month.”

For USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships results, click here. For more information on the tournament, visit usavolleyball.org/events/4873.

All USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships gold-medal matches will be video streamed live at http://usavolleyball.org/live. All USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships medal matches except 13 Club will be streamed and accessed through the same URL.

USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships Results
12 National: Finals on July 1
12 American: Finals July 1
13 National: Gold - Borinquen Coquir 13-1F (Puerto Rico); Silver - ASICS MAVS 13 Blue (Heart of America); Bronze - Madfrog 13s NAT STEF (North Texas) and Nebraska Elite 13 Thunder (Great Plains)
13 American: Gold - Club West 13- National (Southern California); Silver - Xtreme 13 Black (Lone Star); Bronze – Seal Beach 13-Tony (Southern California) and Premier 13 Gold (Great Plains)
14 Open: Gold – Cleveland Volleyball Company 14 Black (Ohio Valley); Silver – Mizuno Long Beach 14 Rockstar (Southern California); Bronze – OVA 14 Asics (Florida) and Nebraska Elite 14 Mayhem (Great Plains)
14 National: Gold – Team Piko 14 Ho’omau (Aloha); Silver – Coast 14-1 Luis (Southern California); Bronze – Iowa Rockets (Iowa) and Backswamp 14 Orwig (Ohio Valley)
14 American: Gold – Texas Image 14 Mizuno (North Texas); Silver – Sunshine 14 South Bay (Southern California); Bronze – Pinellas Heat 14 Elite (Florida) and Woodlands Wave 14UA (Lone Star)
15 Open: Gold - Northern Lights 15-1 (North Country); Silver - TAV 15 VB Rags Black (North Texas); Bronze – City Beach 15 Black (Northern California) and Woodlands Wave 15UA (Lone Star) 15 National: Gold – Blackswamp 15 Oberst (Ohio Valley); Silver - Miami Elite Blue 15 (Florida); Bronze- Ultimate G15 Gold (Great Lakes) and ASICS MAVS 15 Molten (Heart of America)
15 American: Gold – AZ Sky 15 Magic (Arizona); Silver – Iowa Rockets 15R (Iowa); Bronze - Cincy Classics 15 Red (Ohio Valley) and River City Juniors 151 (Great Plains
16 Open: Finals on July 4
16 National: Finals on July 4
16 American: Finals on July 4
17 Open: Finals on July 2
17 National: Finals on July 2
17 American: Finals on July 2
18 Open: Finals on July 3
18 National: Finals on July 3
18 American: Finals on July 3

Tags: 2011 Girls' Junior National Championships, junior, Junior Nationals, Juniors, USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships