De Smet’s Evan Strahlendorf helped the Spartans finish a 34-1 campaign with a 25-14, 25-19, 25-19 sweep of St. Louis University High Junior Billikens at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. Photo by Will Ortbals Media)
De Smet Jesuit’s Evan Strahlendorf ended his four years on the varsity volleyball team with a state championship.
Strahlendorf, a 6-foot, 175-pound team captain, was the only other four-year varsity player this season along with Riley Massey.
The Spartans finished a 34-1 campaign with a 25-14, 25-19, 25-19 sweep of St. Louis University High (SLUH) Junior Billikens at Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau.
Strahlendorf played on four district Championship teams and De Smet went on to have three Final Four appearances.
In addition to this spring, Strahlendorf also played on the 2023 state championship squad, making him and Massey the first two players to graduate with two volleyball titles in De Smet’s history.
In his four years, the Spartans racked up 115 total wins. Add it all up and it amazes Strahlendorf.
Strahlendorf about to serve. (Photo by Will Ortbals Media)
“I truly am in awe of the success of what we have done here with the volleyball program. It has been a fantastic run,” Strahlendorf said. “I like to think I contributed what I could to the team, but I give my thanks to my teammates and coaches who have contributed so much to this success these past four years and who have also helped me grow as a person and a player.”
It all began for Strahlendorf when he started playing in the third grade for his CYC team. His older sister, Mia, served him up to the sport.
“I got intrigued from the beginning and I couldn’t wait to play when I got into third grade,” Strahlendorf said. “I played for my CYC team, Sacred Heart Valley Park, with my friends who I still play with on my De Smet team.
Strahlendorf serving during a match. (Photo by Will Ortbals Media)
“(Mia) got me in the sport in the beginning. However, I didn’t start to fall in love with the sport until I tried out for my first club team when I was 12. Seeing all the older kids hitting the ball with so much force, seeing them jump so high, it gave me a hold that never let go.”
He started playing club when he was 12 for the High Performance, and stayed for four years. After his sophomore year, Strahlendorf decided to play for the club Blue Steel.
At De Smet, Strahlendorf earned a spot on the varsity squad as a freshman.
“I knew Evan was a good player. I knew Evan loved volleyball. I knew Evan was eager to get better,” De Smet coach Tim Haffner said. “Those three aspects are going to make any coach excited to have that kind of player in their program. I knew I wanted Evan on varsity right now. That doesn’t happen a ton.
“We have a lot of great players in the program. But I also knew immediately I wanted Evan surrounded by the other varsity guys. I wanted him to learn the volleyball skills he needed, but I also wanted him around really great guys who cared about their teammates. I wanted him to be at that speed of play. And I knew he was up for the challenge.”
It was a rewarding moment for Strahlendorf to earn a varsity roster spot. He was “ecstatic.”
Strahlendorf makes a play. (Photo by Will Ortbals Media)
“I wanted to be the freshman to make varsity for my sport because it seemed like a massive achievement,” Strahlendorf said. “I remember I was constantly in private lessons trying to fix my skills and working towards that goal.
“When my coach told me that I made varsity, I was so happy I could’ve done a lap around the whole gym just dancing and celebrating, but I had to stay composed and play it off so coach wouldn’t think I was a dork. It was a big deal for me. It gave me confidence because my coach believed I was capable of playing at a high level to where I could contribute to this team in a meaningful way.”
In his freshman year, he was primarily a right side hitter. He typically only played the front row because, as the Spartans ran a two setter system.
His goal for his sophomore year was to start. He did start some but then became a reserve.
“I had multiple talks with my coach about how I could contribute more, and they were very helpful to me. I was playing well, but the guys in my position were playing better than me,” Strahlendorf said. “My coach stressed to me that everyone has a role on this team, it may not be the role you may want, but it is a role that will contribute to the team’s success.”
In the state championship game, Strahlendorf was a serving sub.
“I served well that game. Unfortunately, I did not get an ace, but I did my job well nonetheless,” Strahlendorf said. “I was pleased because I felt my serves helped the team win, and they were aggressive enough to cause Webster to be in shambles at times trying to get the ball over.”
The Spartans swept Webster Groves to conclude a 35-1 season.
“Winning state was a great dream of mine when I envisioned my high school life. I always wanted to win a state title so that my name could be hung from the banners of the school,” Strahlendorf said. “Winning state in 2023 was something I was waiting for and expecting with the team we had. It was also something that meant so much to me as a player because we did it.”
His junior year he became a starter. This season ended with a loss in the quarterfinals to eventual state champion Lafayette.
“The loss to Lafayette my junior year was a loss that, on paper, was expected, but hurt nonetheless,” Strahlendorf said. “We did not play well in that game as a whole and we got embarrassed by them, essentially. To me, the loss hurt more because I genuinely thought we were a team capable of winning state that year.
“With the loss, it fueled not only me, but my whole team for the next season. We knew we would meet Lafayette again sometime in the playoffs and things would not be so similar as the last time.”
What impressed Haffner about Strahlendorf was his willingness to improve.
“If he could, I think Evan would want an earpiece just so he can constantly get coaching and feedback. He wants to hear what he is doing wrong,” Haffner said. “He wants to hear how he can improve.”
It all came together for Strahlendorf in his final campaign.
“Evan had a great senior season that showed how much he had grown in his four years playing varsity,” Haffner said. “He was a six-rotation player who was getting kills from the front row and back row. He was far more consistent from the service line where at any time he could go on a five to six point run that would completely change the momentum of a set. I think about the district final (against CBC) where he had 13 kills and two errors. I think about the Eureka game midseason where he had seven aces.”
For Strahlendorf, his senior year “was a culmination” of what his career has been building up to.
It was something he will never forget.
“I absolutely loved this past season as a senior. I was not only able to play with a lot of the same teammates that I had from previous years, but it was also one of, if not, the last time I would be playing with my close friends I’ve known since preschool,” Strahlendorf said. “It was the most fun and excitement I have ever had in a volleyball season. Everything about it was pretty perfect.”
It ended with defeating SLUH in the state finals.
“It was almost a storybook ending for me. SLUH has been our rival for years now, especially in volleyball,” Strahlendorf said. “It felt nice to finally play them one last time on the biggest stage in the tournament. It was a beautiful thing to experience and reflect on as I move on from De Smet.”
Playing volleyball will continue. Strahlendorf will play for Southwest Baptist University.
“I have always stayed a little bit close to my comfort zone, occasionally stepping out to try new things. Over this past year, I’ve grown to appreciate change and being able to experience new experiences,” Strahlendorf said. “Southwest Baptist is that new experience for me. It is in a smaller town; it is a Baptist school and not many of my friends are going there. It is a brand-new start and I cannot wait to see what will happen next.”
Haffner believes Strahlendorf’s transition to playing in college is going to be a lot like his jump to high school sports.
“Four years ago, he fully embraced the challenge of playing the game at a faster pace with taller and stronger players,” Haffner said. “He knows he will need to put in the work. But he has never turned away from putting in that work before.
“I love that Evan was a part of the De Smet volleyball program. I love that I got to coach him. He provided a great example of what it means to work hard, what it means to be a good teammate and what it means to be a good friend.”
