Libero Karcich Leaping onto College Court at University of Hartford
The sport of volleyball and Kaia Karcich did not find each other until she was on the precipice of high school, though it was a match that gave Kaia the life skills and confidence to continue onto the court throughout high school and now collegiately.
The Valley Regional Class of 2023 member and volleyball squad libero did several sports in her youth, including softball for a dozen years before another stint as a competitive gymnast. Yet around 8th grade, she found her way onto the hardwood and became a defensive stalwart as a libero for four seasons with the Warriors. She will now keep on the floor by committing to play volleyball for the University of Hartford this fall after finishing her Valley career with 729 digs, 103 aces, and 893 service receptions.
“With volleyball, unlike softball, I did not dread going to practice, and I wanted to keep getting better at it. I also loved the people I met through it, and the team was a great atmosphere,” says Kaia. “A lot of my success came from my parents, but my Valley coaches were my biggest supporters. I would not be playing volleyball in college if it were not for them. They really pushed me to play at my best, and they made me into the athlete I am today.”
Kaia recalls that she was not predestined to become a libero for Valley. It came about naturally through practices and scrimmages and her mentors seeing her raw talent on the defensive front of the floor. She also explains that libero can easily draw the opposition’s attention by appearance alone, though it is a strong tool to strengthen mental fortitude.
“I did not have a set position when I got to the team at first, but my coaches saw me as a defensive specialist, and so they put me at libero,” Kaia says. “One of the hardest parts about playing libero is that it was a big position on the court, and you are easy to seek out because you are in an opposite color jersey from the rest of the team. I had a hard time my junior year, but I got out of my mental block.”
As a junior, Kaia received quite a birthday gift when the Warriors hosted Shoreline Conference rival Haddam-Killingworth and took the Cougars to the limit in a five-set thriller of a triumph that had the Valley Regional gymnasium in a frenzy while the coaches clenched their fists in white-knuckle moments.
“My junior year, I remember it on my birthday, we were playing H-K. They were previously undefeated and only had one loss when they played us,” says Kaia. “We went to five sets with them, and our coaches were so pleasantly surprised and on their toes the whole time on the bench. You could feel the energy throughout the gym; it was an amazing win.”
Now heading onto a new campus and starting a new season in a few short weeks, Kaia notes that she is essentially going back to square one. She explains that there is certainly a clear path to etch out a starting spot on the Hawks’ roster in 2023, though it will take hard work, dedication, and diligence on a daily basis at the crack of dawn.
“One of the big adjustments for me is being a freshman again and going back down the food chain essentially after being a senior captain a year ago,” says Kaia. “If you look at the roster, my roommate Emilie Hatje [also a Coginchaug graduate] are the only liberos, which is a big thing to have, so we might be starting, which will be challenging. We started right off with practice on August 19 at 7 a.m., so it will be a huge change for me.”
Warriors’ volleyball Head Coach Sofia Cullina notes that in the short two-year span she has worked with Kaia, she notes one characteristic about her is success in any challenge she chooses to meet head on.
“I met Kaia at the start of her junior year when I stepped in as head coach at Valley. I have had the pleasure of getting to know her on and off the court,” says Cullina. “She is a compassionate, funny, hard-working individual who focuses on putting her best foot forward to succeed in anything she chooses to do. She was determined to play as our libero and succeeded. Her senior year, one of her goals was to be captain, and again she succeeded. She was a key player on our court; she provided energy and motivation to others to give her all. I know she will continue to succeed as she continues on her journey, and I am proud to have been part of it.”
Cullina gave Kaia quite the departing trinket following her final forays with the Warriors. Still, it was a quintessential token of appreciation for not only what Kaia gave to the Valley program; but additionally, what she got out of it in terms of great personal growth and life lessons that will be instilled in her forever.
“Coach Cullina gave me a bracelet at our team banquet after the season was over, and on it, it said, ‘stay positive,’” Kaia says. “I had a hard time with mental blocks when I played for Valley. But as time went on, she gave me a huge talk that was eye-opening. I just remember that I am in this position on the court for a reason, and that is something I will always hold onto.”