Superior alum Carlie Lohman graduated in 2024 and is currently attending UW-Superior committed to the Yellowjacket volleyball program. 

Lohman has been playing volleyball for 12 years. She was on varsity all four years of her high school career, and reached over 1,000 assists as a setter, which led her to get recognized by the Superior Telegram. 

Lohman is currently a freshman setter at UWS. At the collegiate level, she’s noticed that her teammates all have a love for volleyball which creates a drive within all of them to be better athletes. 

“Playing college volleyball has allowed me to be more competitive and push myself…I have learned a lot from playing volleyball at a collegiate level,” Lohman said. 

She also noted how the transition from high school to college wasn’t as hard for her because she didn’t have to move towns. 

Lohman currently coaches the 15’s team at Club Superior Volleyball. She decided to coach because she had been playing volleyball at the club for her entire career, and she felt as though she was expected to come back to become a coach. 

She is helped by assistant coach and math teacher Crystal Lawton. Her daughter Tenely Lawton is also on the team. 

Lawton chose to help coach the team because of her daughter’s role on the team, and overall love for the sport of volleyball; considering that she herself has played volleyball since she was seven years old, and played at UMD during college. 

Lohman had a hard task ahead of her, considering that it was her first year of coaching, and she wasn’t familiar with all the girls on the team, but she appreciates Lawton’s guidance and mentorship through it all. 

“I feel that the girls have warmed up to me more as the season went on. We have gained a sense of trust and community in the team,” Lohman said. 

Lohman has worked hard, planning out practices and watching film to decide what the team needed to work on to benefit their playing as much as possible. 

“I like how she always has a plan for us. Carlie has encouraged us and helped us with improving,” Freshman Cora Cockerham said, libero and defensive specialist on the team.

Lohman has also had the opportunity to improve her public speaking skills through coaching. She noted how before coaching she wasn’t as confident to talk in front of large groups, and after the season she noticed that she found her voice in order to help her players improve. 

Lohman has found coaching to be helpful for her as well as she is currently majoring in elementary education. It’s also beneficial if she chooses to pursue coaching at the high school level later down the road. 

“Coaching teaches you how to work with a group of athletes all with different needs and how to communicate with each other,” Lohman said. 

Many of the girls on the team, except one, are all Spartans. The devotion that Lohman has towards the team will translate into the next high school season for the girls as well. 

“I overall feel that our team has improved in multiple areas of the game. I think that our skills and technique have improved,” Lohman said. 

Overall, Lohman has committed so many hours of her time dedicated to help the team grow and improve. She has given back to the community through this, and helping the team grow, while maintaining an influence on other volleyball teams as well through this. Lohman has enjoyed coaching a lot, and recommends it to anyone who wants to learn more about the game of volleyball and grow in communication, leadership, and confidence.