Metro Volleyball Player of the Year: Elizabeth Juhnke

The beginnings of the metamorphosis of Elizabeth Juhnke from savvy volleyball devotee to imposing front row presence began in a gym in Bloomington about three years ago.

Thanks to parents who live a life heavy on volleyball, Juhnke was a junkie of the sport from a young age, her on-court education commencing at roughly the same time as her formal education.

But it wasn't until a moment in the gym at her volleyball club, Mizuno M1 in Bloomington, that she saw her future while watching an older player crush bomb after bomb.

"I was more of a smart hitter. See the court, find open shots," Juhnke said. "Then I saw her and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I want to hit that hard.' She pushed me to find my power."

It didn't hurt that Juhnke had grown from a self-proclaimed "scrawny kid" into a 6-foot attacker. Combined with an innate drive to improve and a passion for the sport that is on her mind during most waking hours, the Lakeville North senior built herself into a complete player.

The results — powerful kills, relentless digging, nimble passing — contributed mightily to a 2017 state championship and helped make Juhnke the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year.

"When she came as an eighth-grader for tryouts, it was evident that she loved the game and she loved to compete," Lakeville North coach Jackie Richter said. "In everything we do, she's a coach's dream."

"I am so competitive," she said. "In everything I do. My whole family is competitive."

Even harmless family game nights?

"Sometimes, we can't do those," she said with a laugh. "We're too competitive."

The will to win is her driving force. Juhnke is never satisfied, no matter how proficient she becomes.

"I try to stay humble," she said. "I think I can always be getting better."

"I've always been a six-rotation player," she said. "If one part of my game isn't 100 percent, I try to counteract it with something else. If my hitting is a little off, I'm going to pass the ball for my teammates."

Said Richter: "She's always hungry and looking to get better. That's made a huge impact on all of our teams."

The Panthers' season, and Juhnke's high school career, ended Saturday with a loss to rival Lakeville South in the Class 3A, Section 1 finals. She will play one more season club season before heading to the University of South Dakota to play volleyball and study nursing.

"I love everything about South Dakota. And I want to play all four years. That was a huge thing for me," she said.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a return trip to the state tournament, Juhnke is proud of what she has accomplished at Lake­ville North.