BHS’s Shebeneck named state’s top volleyball player for second straight year
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Staff Writer
It’s hard not to take an instant liking to Burlington High School senior Kaysie Shebeneck.
A 17-year-old with an easy smile, an outgoing demeanor and genuine affection for seemingly everyone she meets, Shebeneck has been impressing the staff at BHS for four years.
Shebeneck also has another talent – volleyball. She helped lead BHS to back-to-back WIAA Division 1 state titles, her club team to a national championship game, and herself to a full ride to Texas A&M University, where she plans to study education.
So, when it came time for Gatorade and USA Today to choose a Wisconsin Volleyball Player of the Year, perhaps it’s no surprise that Shebeneck won it for the second straight season.
Shebeneck was one of 51 players honored last week as state Player of the Year. Illinois’ Lauren Carlini was named the National Gatorade Volleyball Player of the Year last week.
It was the second year in a row that Shebeneck has earned the state honor. Other past state winners include Catholic Central High School’s Carol Henney and Menomonee Falls standout and Wisconsin graduate Janelle Gabrielsen.
When it came time for Shebeneck to look for recommendations for the award this year, her mother sent out an email to a select group of people who had worked with or around her daughter.
In response, Kaysie received more than 20 letters of recommendation for the award.
One of those letters came from BHS teacher Matt Behringer, who is one of Shebeneck’s two advisors with Driven – the BHS student leadership program.
Behringer’s letter was, simply put, glowing.
“Kaysie is going to strive for excellence in everything that she does, and I give my absolutely highest recommendation, and know that wherever she finds herself in the future she will succeed, and that is something I really admire about Kaysie,” Behringer wrote.
When Shebeneck reflected on the letter, she sounded almost embarrassed.
“Mr. Behringer has made the whole Driven project fantastic,” she said. “It really makes an impact.
“It really meant a lot,” she added about the other letters she received. “It made me feel like … I made an impact on their lives, and they were kind enough to acknowledge my personality and my being in a positive light.
“It makes you feel like you’ve made a difference.”
While Shebeneck’s school work (she has a 4.01 grade-point average) and community work through both Driven and the Make-A-Wish foundation played a part in the award, so did her success on the volleyball court.
She finished the season with 912 assists, 176 digs, 82 kills, 74 blocks and 41 aces in leading Burlington to another state title.
For all of her hard work, though, the senior has spent a lot of time praising her teammates, including two other Division 1 recruits and a talented crop of other players.
“I couldn’t have done it without their dedication to the team and to the season,” Shebeneck said of her teammates.”
Shebeneck’s own coaches have sung her praises for quite a while – so much so that other coaches can’t help but join in.
“Kaysie Shebeneck is an extremely talented volleyball player,” said Delavan-Darien coach Jean Jacob, who was quoted in the press released. “She is versatile, hard-working and a talented leader.”
In fall, Shebeneck will take all of those skills to the next level when she heads to Texas A&M. She has already made a splash with her future school.
“My coach texted me and said congratulations and we’re proud of you and just really encouraging words,” Shebeneck said. “It was nice to hear that as well.”
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