A two-time state champion, Ripon Christian star is The Bee’s Volleyball Player of the Year

Jordan Vander Veen always wanted to play college volleyball.

When she started playing as a 10-year-old, she was the youngest player on her team, playing 13s because there was no 10s team.

Through the years, as she continued to play, her love for the sport grew, until she was able to earn an offer to extend her career past high school, at Concordia University Irvine. She announced her commitment prior to her senior season.

And she always had examples of what volleyball players should do. Her mother, Jennifer, and father, Steve, both played indoor and beach volleyball in college competitively and for recreation. She says they both also played semi-pro beach volleyball in Hermosa Beach.

“I kind of just was born into a volleyball family,” the Ripon Christian senior outside hitter said. “They didn’t want me to start so early because they thought I’d get burnt out. But I really love the game, so I don’t really see that happening. They started my love for volleyball.”

Vander Veen took that foundation and turned it into an outstanding high school career full of accolades, championships and memories.

After leading the Knights to a third straight perfect Southern League record, third straight section title, second straight NorCal title, second straight state title, twice finishing first in the Sac-Joaquin Section in kills and twice earning league MVP, Vander Veen is The Bee’s Girls Volleyball Player of the Year.

Vander Veen is a four-year varsity player, but missed out on her freshman season due to the pandemic. During her three full varsity seasons, the Knights captured a pair of D-V section titles and another in Division IV. Ripon Christian also became the first school to win two straight non-Open Division state titles in the California Interscholastic Federation’s “straight equity” era. They won it in Division IV last season as a No. 9 seed then won in Division III this year as a 13-seed.

She also finished the past two seasons as the Sac-Joaquin Section’s kills leader, tallying 566 as a junior and 497 as a senior. Those marks were also some of the top in the state. She finished second in California as a junior and 14th as a senior. As a junior she was named SL MVP and as a senior, she shared co-MVP honors with teammate Sydney Hoffman.

Through all of her success, her senior season stands out as her favorite.

“It was a lot of fun,” she said. “The winning was a lot sweeter this year because it was back-to-back.”

The 2023 Ripon Christian volleyball team was made up of childhood friends.

Vander Veen and her senior teammates started playing volleyball together in seventh grade, which made the 37-5 overall record much more enjoyable.

The Knights this season had three separate 10-match win streaks and once they got to the playoffs, they were dominant. Despite moving up a division at the section and state levels, they lost just one set over nine postseason matches.

“I think one of the parents in seventh grade said this is a state champion team,” Vander Veen recalled. “I guess you don’t really know that until now, obviously, but it was just fun playing with them. We just have chemistry on the court that you can’t really create, you either have it or you don’t. We all wanted to win but more importantly just wanted to play the best we could with each other.”

Knights coach Kayla Kootstra is a former Ripon Christian player and state champion. She returned to campus as the coach in 2020-21, Vander Veen’s freshman year, but knew Vander Veen would be a future star early.

“Before I took over the program, I actually watched her play when she was in eighth grade here and, I mean, she was a powerhouse already then,” Kootstra said. “She works hard. She is passionate about the game. Her work ethic and her coachability has allowed for her physical game to improve, but I think what I’ve been more impressed with is the growth in her leadership and the mental side of her game. … Our team rallies around her and she rallies for her teammates as well. She just really stepped in this year to become the leader on that court.”

After the pair have been together for the past four seasons, Kootstra admits that walking into her first practice without Vander Veen at the start of next season will be different. She also knows that Vander Veen’s impact on the program will be felt for years to come.

“It’s almost like a whole new era that we have to establish,” Kootstra said. “I think that there’s some great things ahead for our program, but we’re definitely going to miss her. Even in practice day in and day out the high level that she demands not only from herself, but from her teammates has allowed our program to really grow to what it is today and has set the model for what we hope things will look like moving forward. To watch that whole group of seniors but especially Jordan kind of buy into what we’re all about has been, I think, huge for what we’re hoping to be about as we move on.”

THE 2023 MODESTO BEE ALL-DISTRICT VOLLEYBALL TEAMS

COACH OF THE YEAR

Kayla Kootstra, Ripon Christian

For the second straight season, Ripon Christian coach Kayla Kootstra is The Bee’s Volleyball Coach of the Year. After sharing the title with former Escalon coach Teresa Williamson, who retired last season after leading the Cougars to three straight section titles, Kootstra has the award to herself this season after adding to what was an already impressive resume.

The Ripon Christian graduate and 1999 state champion as a player returned to the Knights program when everything shut down during the pandemic. In 2021, her first full season, Kootstra guided the Knights to a Division V section championship and in 2022 they repeated. Kootstra and the Knights also added a Division IV state title.

This season, the Knights captured the Division IV section championship, Kootstra’s third straight and the program’s fourth, and won the D-III state title. Under the fourth-year coach’s leadership, the Knights became the first non-Open Division team to win two state championships since the California Interscholastic Federation began using “straight equity” to determine its volleyball playoff divisions seven years ago. Ripon Christian finished the 2023 season 37-5 overall and 14-0 in Southern League play. They won 10 straight matches three times and dropped just one set during their postseason run.

Over the past three seasons, the Knights are 108-17 overall and 42-0 in the SL.

FIRST TEAM

OH: Sophia Castillon, Senior, Central Catholic

OH: Maryn Hall, Sophomore, Pitman

OH: Leah Van Wyngarden, Senior, Ripon Christian

MB/MH: Madison Eissayou, Senior, Pitman

MB/MH: Sydney Hoffman, Senior, Ripon Christian

OPP: Fallon Freeman, Senior, Beyer

OPP: Shelby Jackson, Senior, Central Catholic

OPP: Ella Sniezek, Senior, Pitman

S: Payton Rowell, Senior, Pitman

S: Megan Weststeyn, Senior, Ripon Christian

S: Reagan Wilkerson, Senior, Ripon

L/DS: Morgan Lung, Junior, Central Catholic

L/DS: Lillie Miranda, Senior, Turlock

SECOND TEAM

OH: Jordan Beers, Junior, Big Valley Christian

OH: Adriana Dorn, Sophomore, Ripon

OH: Lauren Parker, Junior, Turlock

MB/MH: Maya Gonzalez, Senior, Beyer

MB/MH: Lisa Murga, Senior, Escalon

OPP: Alyssa Thomas, Sophomore, Central Catholic

S: Ella Gaylor, Junior, Beyer

S: Madison Genasci, Senior, Central Catholic

S: Nikkie Miranda, Senior, Turlock

L/DS: Allison Brown, Senior, Ripon Christian

L/DS: Miriam Recendez, Junior, Davis