PETOSKEY -- Petoskey senior Caitlyn Matelski could have been great at any sport she picked.
She put most of her athletic focus into volleyball, but there's no cap to the kind of competitive drive Matelski puts into a craft.
Heck, give her a bowling ball and she'll likely be scary on the lanes. Let her saddle up a horse and she would have had it leaping rings of fire.
But volleyball it was and, great she was. Great enough to be named the 2024 News-Review Player of the Year.
So, why volleyball over basketball or anything else?
"Volleyball you need your team and everyone around you to achieve whatever you're going for," Matelski said.
As great of an individual athlete Matelski is, she loves being part of a team and needing to work in unison to bring in her own success. It's what's stood out most over her Petoskey career.
"Our team clicked and we could read each other's mind," Matelski said. "We were together as one."
That unity is also what helped Matelski relax and play loose on the court.
A fiery competitor at everything she does, Matelski often got too worked up early in her career. She'll be first to admit it. Then came the calm. If there was an issue, if she had a bad hit, it was on to the next.
That, she credits, to her team for making her feel comfortable and taking the pressure off.
"I guess it just came from getting to know each other a lot more this year," she said. "Everyone was unified, so I could just relax and shake things out a bit more."
There weren't many 'bad' moments needed to shake off for Matelski in 2024. She helped lead the Northmen to a district championship, while having a hand in every statistical category.
She racked up 300 kills as an outside hitter, then added 231 digs, 62 blocks and 44 aces. Heck, she even assisted on 21 balls, becoming a full rotation player that was too good to exit the court. That too, brought some comfort and confidence.
"It definitely helped a lot more with practices because I could just go wherever and keep on going," Matelski said. "It's great to be able to hit from wherever."
As much as Matelski loved her Petoskey volleyball team over recent years, there came a point she had to begin thinking of the next one.
She found that group with Lake Superior State University, who she signed with just recently.
"The coaches and team unity definitely set them apart," Matelski said. "It's like a big family and everyone is really connected."
But, there was another draw for Matelski, who would love to go into forensic investigation.
"They have an amazing criminal justice program and another positive is that their criminal justice program is upstairs from the gym," she said. "So I can just go upstairs, do all my studying and then head down for volleyball."
Lake State checked the unity box for Matelski and she'll actually get started on strengthening it sooner than later, graduating from Petoskey this December to make her way to school in January.
"My coach was talking about it and at first he was just joking and I said, 'I'll totally come up whenever.' It has me starting earlier and gives me more time with the girls," Matelski added.
She'll head up motivated to achieve more big goals and surrounded by teammates she's ready to strengthen another bond with.
And it's hard to expect anything but greatness again.
Jojo Kirkpatrick, East Jordan; Laine Irwin, Pellston; Bryleigh Rummer, Harbor Springs; Molly Ogden, Harbor Light; Sarah Wyglendowski, Charlevoix; Kerry-Ann Ming, Mackinaw City; Kendel Saganek, East Jordan; Taylor Dickinson, Harbor Springs.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny