Prep athletes of the week: Wayzata's Katy Riviere sets a serious, and seriously fun, tone

Riviere is blessed with a high volleyball IQ. It doesn't always go as planned for even the elite.

The six-rotation right-side hitter was in perfect position to make a pass to a teammate against rival Eden Prairie last week. She shanked the pass and the ball went flying into the stands. Teammate Sophia Johnson sprinted into the bleachers to get the ball and took a seat.

"My coach said, 'Sophia is now in the stands eating popcorn,' " Riviere said.

Incidents like that are what make unbeaten Wayzata (20-0) the No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A by the coaches association. The Trojans are very competitive, and still have fun on the court, too.

"Katy brings a lot of personality to our team and keeps everyone on their toes," Wayzata coach Scott Jackson said. "She is a tough-minded competitor who is focused yet fun-loving."

The North Dakota recruit finished with 15 kills and 15 digs against the No. 3 Eagles.

"We have high expectations," Riviere said. "We have to get better every day to accomplish our goals."

The freshman phenom owns the top time in every event in the Northwest Suburban Conference and is currently the fastest in the state in the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2 minutes, 4.41 seconds. "Grace has started this season with a bang," Huskies coach Marcia Ford said.

The anchor of the Royals defense came up with another strong performance. The senior linebacker had five solo tackles, six assisted, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery as the Royals handed Litchfield its first loss of the season, winning 26-7.

Hecht has picked up right where she left off a year ago. The junior goalkeeper has posted shutouts in 14 of the 16 games for the Irish. "Jordan is a highly technically skilled keeper, with amazing game IQ and tremendous quickness," Irish coach Gretchen Stramel said.

Vanacker is gradually climbing the Class 3A rankings. The senior moved up to No. 5 after winning the St. Michael-Albertville Invitational with a time of 15 minutes, 44.6 seconds over the 5-kilometer course.

The senior libero recently registered her 1,000th career dig for the Raiders, who are 10-5 on the year. "Sophia is a high volleyball IQ person and has really dug in to become a better player and leader over the years," Roseville coach Greg Ueland said. "She is very consistent and a team-first player."

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