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Ole Miss commit Kennedy Wagner looking to lead Valparaiso HS to new heights
Kennedy Wagner will play college volleyball with the Ole Miss Rebels come 2023. (Courtesy: @Kennedy15203499/Twitter)

Ole Miss commit Kennedy Wagner looking to lead Valparaiso HS to new heights

VALPARAISO, Ind. (BVM) — During her junior season this fall, Kennedy Wagner continues to shine on the volleyball court. Perhaps that has been aided by her recruiting process officially ending, something that started for her back in her freshman year.

“I started getting stuff during my 14U year which is pretty young,” Wagner said. “It was a fun process that I had and it was stressful at some times, but I really enjoyed getting to know all the different colleges.”

This past June, Wagner was officially eligible for colleges to contact her. One of her first calls on the very first day of the process came from Ole Miss. Although there were other schools she considered including Alabama, Virginia and UC Santa Barbara, it ended up being the Rebels that stuck out as her No. 1 choice throughout.

“Ole Miss reached out and they were excited to get to know me more,” Wagner said. “I went to Ole Miss the weekend after I went to Alabama and I really felt that feeling when I stepped on the campus. Obviously it was a hard decision, but I know I made the right decision. This is where I need to be and I just feel at home there.

Although she had plenty of other interests, the coaching staff at Ole Miss sold Kennedy Wagner on becoming a future Rebel. (Courtesy: @Kennedy15203499/Twitter)

“The thing that really attracted me to Ole Miss was the coaching staff. When I get down there, my biggest goal is to just have fun and start my freshman year. I want to be an All-American my freshman year or even my sophomore year, and have more fun with the game with people that I’ve never played with before.”

It won’t be long before Wagner is suiting up for the Rebels. But first, she will conclude what has been a fantastic junior volleyball career. At age 9, Wagner began playing volleyball every day, emulating her sister, Serena, who was a star on the court in high school and later went on to play in college at Butler and Southeastern Louisiana University.

“When I saw my sister in the gym all the time, I was really intrigued,” Kennedy said. “I started to take lessons with her and just played back and forth with her in the yard. I got really excited and I just started playing 24/7. The competitiveness is a big thing that I love and my sister really helped me getting into the sport and helped me improve as a player.”

Serena and Kennedy have supported each other plenty throughout the years, and the older sister has also been able to instill plenty of wisdom and knowledge on her younger sister.

“She introduced me to volleyball, but she also introduced me to be a good person and a big leader,” Kennedy said. “She was a leader on and off the court, and I was always looking up to that. She just taught me to always go out there, have fun and enjoy the game.”

Most recently, Serena has been able to help Kennedy out through the recruiting process, and is prepared to offer more insight by the time she enters college.

Kennedy Wagner’s volleyball career began to take off after joining 1st Alliance Volleyball Club. (Courtesy: Kennedy Wagner)

“The main thing she told me about the recruiting process is to just take it slow and enjoy it,” Kennedy mentioned. “Take it all in and don’t rush anything. It’s going to be stressful, but you just have to go through it. She said I can call her whenever I want to during my freshman year of college and she will help me out.”

An athletic talent in many sports, Kennedy had to give up playing others to focus on volleyball. One of the toughest to end with was track and field, where Kennedy was a conference champion high jumper throughout her middle school years.

“Dropping track and field was really hard for me,” Kennedy explained. “But I realized I had to focus on one main sport and keep my academics high.”

Track and field also ran into the club volleyball season for Kennedy, and that is where the outside hitter has continued to take her game to new heights over the years. 

Initially playing for a local club, Kennedy began competing for 1st Alliance Volleyball Club in Illinois shortly after the start of her career. She hasn’t looked back since.

“I’ve been learning so much, I’ve been improving as a player and just a leader on the court,” the 16-year-old said. “I feel like 1st Alliance has definitely helped me become the person I am today and the volleyball player I am today. Everyone is so welcoming there. Being able to compete with all these girls and being friends with girls from all over the country is just exciting.”

While Kennedy has continued to flourish with her club team, she has also become a strong presence for her team at Valparaiso High School. As a freshman starter on the varsity team, the outside hitter was admittedly nervous. However, she continued to improve throughout the season, recording over 300 kills and being named team MVP.

As a sophomore, Kennedy continued her success, once again earning team MVP honors and being named an all-area player. She led the Vikings to greater team success in her second year as well.

Kennedy Wagner continues to be a leader for the Valparaiso girls volleyball team both on and off the court. (Courtesy: Kennedy Wagner)

Now, the junior continues to lead the program, as the Vikings have started out strong this fall with just two losses and a second-place mark in the conference standings. 

“We want to win sectionals this year and I have a big feeling we can,” Kennedy said. “We just have to go out there and have fun. We are a team that works together and not as individuals. We are at the highest we can be.”

Beyond her high school volleyball career and even her time at Ole Miss, Kennedy believes she will consider continuing to play the sport overseas, or she will look to become a full-time veterinarian. No matter the path she chooses, it is likely the junior will have plenty of success. And by the time her career is all said and done, she hopes others can look back on not only her success, but also her leadership and passion for the sport.

“Next year, my big goal is to go to sectionals, go to regionals, just go as far as we can,” Kennedy said. “I feel like the girls coming in after me are going to definitely look up to how much of a leader I was on and off the court and how happy I was and just smiling all the time, bringing everyone together and enjoying the game with everyone. I’m hoping when I leave, those girls just follow my footsteps.”