Carolyn Olson feels at home back with Grand Forks Red River volleyball – Grand

GRAND FORKS — Carolyn Olson considered herself fortunate to get the head volleyball coaching job at Grand Forks Red River this year.

But it was arguably the easiest hire – or rehire – Red River ever made.

Olson coached the Roughriders for 25 years before leaving in 2019 for a job at Fargo Davies. In that time, Red River won six state titles and seven East Region tournaments, qualified for 21 state tournaments and appeared nine times in the state championship game.

Returning to Red River “feels very much like home,” Olson said. This time around will be different, though: Olson retired from teaching and now works for Special Olympics North Dakota. That means she won’t get to know her players during the school day like she did in the past.

The transition was made easier because Olson has a familiarity with the senior class, thanks to her daughter, McKenzie, who is one of the many seniors on the team.

“We’ve got two kids that are not seniors this year,” Olson said.

Olson will take over that senior-laden team that went 17-18 last year and missed the state tournament. They’re off to a 3-0 start this season, sweeping Bismarck Legacy and Minot and grabbing a 2-1 win over Dickinson during Day 1 of the East West Crossover tournament in Bismarck Friday, Aug. 25.

She’ll have a solid core of Riders players to rely on to lead the team, like all-conference and all-state outside hitter Hannah Litzinger, who had 308 kills, 418 digs, 28 blocks and 62 service aces last year.

Olson began working with the team this summer during informal summer camps, allowing her to see the types of players she’ll have at Red River.

“There’s some decent size, so from a blocking perspective, it will serve us well,” she said. “Defensively, we’re continuing to improve every day. We’ve got some really good kids to work with, and they all get along and enjoy being in the gym together.”

Regardless of game outcomes, Olson is “just excited to be back.”

“I think Red River volleyball is a really special, special thing,” she said, “and it feels like a family to me.”

Grand Forks prep volleyball capsules

Coach: Carolyn Olson.

2022 record/finish: 17-18.

Key returners: Sr. OH Hannah Litzinger (All-EDC, All-State), sr. MH Haley Johnson, sr. L Hope Gaddie, sr. S Taylor Heid.

Top newcomers: Sr. OH/S McKenzie Olson, soph. MH Lizzy Kunz, jr. S Emerson Byron, sr. RS Lauren Swanson, sr. RS Ellie Schall, sr. OH/DS Paige Heid, sr. DS Alex Stauss.

Coach Olson says: “It looks to be an exciting season. The team has fantastic chemistry. We have athletes who can play multiple positions which will give us flexibility throughout the season. We are very balanced offensively and our defense is continuing to improve.”

Coach: Brandon Walters.

2022 record/finish: 5-26.

Key returners: Sr. OPP/S Emma Haskamp, sr. OH Emma Nash, sr. DS/L Gabrielle Cormier, jr. OH Lauren Reardon.

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