The Girls Roosevelt Varsity Volleyball team just wrapped up their 2025 season!

The team is coached by Joelle Strangler and Yingsel Gyalsten. The Varsity team played 14 in season games, in total including tournaments they played 27 games. 

During the summer the team was very lucky to participate in a Minnesota gopher camp led by the players of the gopher team. They also were a part of a weekly scrimmage league held by Richfield high school hosting many schools to have some friendly summer scrimmages. The program hosted a week long junior teddie camp teaching basic skills to the future of teddy volleyball. Captains Maeve McCartney Jefferies, Brooklyn Erickson and Ella Holiday did an amazing job wrapping up the summer work by leading captains practices the week before evals.

The 2025 season awards that are voted on by teammates and coaches were announced on November 6th 2025 at the end of season banquet. The team and coaches would like to recognize Sophomore Gwen Kiemele who won most improved, Juniors Ella Holiday and Mina Bradley who were awarded the teddie spirit award, and Junior Maeve McCartney Jefferies who won MVP for the 2025 season.

Brooklyn Erickson, Maeve McCartney Jefferies and Sydney Erickson were also all selected for Minneapolis all conference.

We would like to congratulate Junior setter #9 Maeve McCartney Jefferies who hit 1000 assists this fall season! Teammates describe Maeve as a hard worker and a very determined individual. Maeve has been playing with the program for 5 years and has been a 6 rotation setter only the past 2 years. Teammates said Maeve is an amazing leader and pushes the people around her to do their best and give 100%. Maeve would like to recognize and thank her teammate Brooklyn Erickson who she has played beside for the past 5 years. Maeve shares “Brook has been one of my biggest inspirations and helps me to remain calm, her presence on the court has helped push me to be the best volleyball player I can be.” Teddy Nation congratulates you Maeve!

Your teddies took 2nd place in conference after playing a heated 5 set game vs washburn. Before that they went undefeated in conference sweeping every team in conference including southwest where the teddies dominated over the lakers in a quick three set sweep, for the first time in 34 years!

They progressed to the second round of sections after a 5 set fight vs Simley Highschool. During the second round of sections they faced Cretin Derhm Hall who are ranked #15 in the state of Minnesota and who your teddies played and lost to last year during the first round of sections.

The varsity team came out fighting for every point, leaving their all on the court. The teddies ended their season in a 3 set loss to Cretin.

Brooklyn Erickson, this team’s only senior this year, was a rock for the team. She led them through a great season taking in all her last moments with the program.

Speaking to Brooklyn she shares that “Ever since I started playing volleyball at the age of 8 I have grown to love the sport. I have put blood, sweat, and tears into the game but it has brought me so much joy. I have learned discipline and perseverance and it has helped me gain confidence in who I am on and off the court.” 

“The RHS volleyball team of 2025 will always have a place in my heart. I have known most of the girls in the program for so long and have seen growth in every single person on the team. I am so proud of how far the team has come this year and am so excited to see what next year’s team brings. This year’s team has put so much time into becoming better players and stuck by each other the whole season. This team has become my family and I hope to have connections with these people once I graduate.” Brooklyn says looking back on the 2025 season.

And lastly something Brooklyn wishes  to share with the younger players of the program is “Play your heart out, although some people may love the sport more than others, don’t ruin the season for your teammates by not showing up, not trying, and being negative, just have fun and give your everything.” 

Once Brooklyn graduates she hopes to continue playing the sport of volleyball in college, she is still unsure of what college she will be settling at but hopes to pursue a career of health care with the goal of helping others.

Assistant Coach Yingsel was awarded with the outstanding assistant coach of 2025 during the banquet and said “I’m so proud of how far we’ve come this season not just as players, but as teammates. We showed what it means to play for each other, to work hard and to keep believing. This team has heart, and thats what made them and this season so special.”

Now that their season has ended players move into their club seasons that will last all winter and spring until school season starts up again in June. We can’t wait to see the team again next fall!