Our Redeemer’s senior Brookylnn Roedocker signs her national letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of Jamestown in the fall during a press conference at Our Redeemer’s Christian School on Friday, Feb. 13, alongside her father Travis and mother Tara. Mike Kraft/MDN

Brooklynn Roedocker is no stranger to Harold Newman Arena at the University of Jamestown.

The Our Redeemer’s senior has stepped foot on that court every year since the seventh grade, attending the university’s volleyball camp to improve her skills and help her achieve her dream of playing the sport at a collegiate level.

Little did she know at the time that the Jimmies would be the team and Harold Newman Arena would be the court that delivered on that dream. Roedocker signed her national letter of intent to play college volleyball at the University of Jamestown in the fall during a press conference at Our Redeemer’s Christian School on Friday, Nov. 13.

“It’s really exciting,” Roedocker said. “It’s always been my dream and for it to be Jamestown is a dream come true for sure.”

Dialogue between Roedocker and Jamestown began relatively recently, with the Jimmies’ coaching staff reaching out in December. Roedocker had also been in communication with Hamline University and Crown College, both in Minnesota.

Our Redeemer’s and Jamestown might be separated by 170 miles, but they have a close connection with one another. The Knights attend Jimmie Camp every summer and their coaching philosophy can be traced back to the Jamestown volleyball program under the leadership of head coach Jon Hegerle and assistant coach Jake Adolphson-Fulsom.

“The University of Jamestown – speaking specifically of coach Hegerle and coach Fulsom – they have been some of the greatest mentors for me in the early years of starting as a volleyball coach,” Our Redeemer’s coach Kara Nunziato said. “We’ve consistently gone to their summer programming year after year, so we know their program and we know what their philosophy is. We’ve tried to bring a lot of what they do into our gym and they have some of the best volleyball in our state.”

The similarities between her high school program and Jamestown’s appealed to Roedocker.

“The Our Redeemer’s program and their program have always been really connected with each other by going to their camps and our coaches see the game the same way,” Roedocker said. “It’s awesome to go from a program at Our Redeemer’s that I love and knowing that I’ll be going to a program that our high school coaches know.”

Roedocker won’t be the first athlete in the family to play collegiate sports at Jamestown. Her father, Travis, played both baseball and football with the Jimmies. Roedocker said her father was excited when she told him of Jamestown’s interest in her volleyball abilities.

Roedocker ended her high school career with her best statistical season coming in her senior year. She led the team with 435 kills and was second on the team in both aces (63) and solo blocks (43). At the state tournament, she recorded 47 kills, five aces and four blocks, as the Knights placed fourth. She was named to the all-state tournament team and earned second-team all-state, all-region and all-district honors.

“If you look at her stats, you can just see how much time and work she put into her game to be the player she was during her senior year,” Nunziato said. “She has that grit and that work ethic that just is really great and an asset to any program. She’s someone that has always set the bar high for herself and put in a lot of time on and off the court and in and out of season to play at the level that would be beneficial for her teammates.”

Over her career, Roedocker amassed 849 kills, 220 digs, 64 aces – all as a senior – 56 solo blocks and 89 block assists. The Knights were 92-32-3 over the three seasons she saw playing time at the varsity level (Roedocker did not play her freshman season but was a rostered varsity player) and advanced to the state tournament twice, placing third in 2023.

Roedocker said she’ll miss playing games at The Castle in front of the local fans.

“Our home games are always a lot of fun with all our classmates that come and families and everyone involved with the school,” Roedocker said. “The energy is always so fun.”

Roedocker’s history with the sport dates back to when she was just four years old, bumping a volleyball for the first time. She also played soccer and basketball, but volleyball piqued her interest the most out of the three.

“I like the culture,” Roedocker said. “It’s a team sport where everyone has to be involved both physically and emotionally. It’s fun getting to go out with all of your friends and compete together. It’s different from any other sport I’ve played.”

Roedocker now goes from one 400-win coach in Nunziato to another 400-win coach in Hegerle, who will be in his 18th season in the fall. Roedocker said she is one of four recruits from the state and will join Sophie Ketterling of Napoleon and Caroline Puetz of Wyndmere-Lidgerwood as athletes from the Peace Garden State.

The Jimmies played their first season as a full-time member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, which means yearly matchups with Minot State. That means a reunion with former teammate Maya Vibeto.

Nunziato will miss Roedocker’s presence on the team, both on the court and off, as she was someone whose actions literally spoke louder than the soft-spoken team MVP.

“While she is someone who is quiet from a demeanor standpoint, she adds a lot of life to the team, especially behind the scenes,” Nunziato said. “She does fun things for her teammates. She loves to host get-togethers. She has a listening ear. She is a supportive player. She’s really witty and funny and she is going to absolutely love and cherish her time with a new team.”

Roedocker’s high school career isn’t over quite yet. She still has two games left before trading in her high school volleyball jersey for the orange and black of Jamestown. She will be competing in the North Dakota High School Coaches Association and Optimist Volleyball All-Star series in June. The two-game event features the top senior athletes in the state across all three classes.