Westlake newbie has championship experience
It’s been a circuitous route to Westlake for senior Jada Birkel, who’s quickly become a leader for the American-Statesman’s topranked Class 6A volleyball team.
From winning a TAPPS state title with St. Michael’s two years ago to transferring to Westlake last fall and being forced by UIL rules to play junior varsity, Birkel has experienced her share of unique circumstances.
But as Westlake (23-8 overall, 5-0 in District 25-6A) heads into Tuesday’s district showdown at Lake Travis, Birkel says the journey has been well worth the twists and turns.
“I wanted to play at a higher level,” the University of Memphis commit said of her transfer. “And I needed more people around me. (Westlake High School) is a lot different because at St. Michael’s, there were 60 people in my class and here there are more than 600. Finding my way around the school was a big change; now I’m running to get to a class across campus instead of just walking down the hall.”
The adjustments came on the court, too. After raising a state championship trophy, Birkel spent the next season on Westlake’s junior varsity team, which
is a rare circumstance for a junior destined for Division I volleyball.
Ironically, Birkel noted that her time on JV helped improve her overall game.
“I thought it was going to be really hard when I first started, and at times during the beginning of the season it was hard, seeing the varsity play and knowing I could be playing with them and helping,” she said. “But toward the end of the season, I started to realize it was probably the best thing for me as I got to play (the entire match) and I got to pass, and that’s the main thing I wanted to work on.”
Coming into this season, a lot of questions surrounded Westlake. The Chaps had just lost a talented class to graduation, were welcoming a new coach in Marci Laracuente following the retirement of 30-year coach Al Bennett, and would be fielding a relatively underclassmen-dominated team.
However, Birkel — one of Westlake’s three captains prior to the season — has helped turn those questions into afterthoughts following the Chaps’ blazing start.
“Having Jada, who really wants to win and is super-competitive, is really good for our team because bottom line: Your team has to be motivated if you want to win,” said senior setter Jordan Fredricksen, one of Birkel’s co-captains. “And something that I’ve seen this year is that everyone is motivated, and when we get into those tough spots, Jada is always there to keep us going and pump up the team. A lot of the other players look up to her.”
A vocal leader on the court — she jokingly said she “loves to talk” — Birkel also provides the distinct aspect of state championship experience on the floor.
“I feel like that helps a lot in tough situations,” she said. “In the state final (with St. Michael’s), it went to five sets and it got down to the final points, so I feel like that helps me keep my composure on the court in stressful situations and to still swing hard and not be scared.”
Of course, it’s not just experience that Birkel brings to the Chaps. She averages 4.5 kills per set with a 34.3 hitting percentage and possesses the raw talent that makes her one of the top hitters in Central Texas.
“She can hit any shot around a block,” Laracuente said. “She’s just a diverse hitter who can hit anywhere on the front line, and she can mix up her shots. She loves to hit hard, but I think this year she’s done a good job of using her shots when it’s necessary. She brings that energy to a team when she gets a kill and everyone gets excited.”