Jumpin’ Jepsen
Lewis recruit powers down the right road forMarist
Marist senior Marty Jepsen had two primary missions as he looked ahead to the 2019 season.
The 6-foot-2 outside hitter completed one of them just a few days before the RedHawks’ first match when he committed to Lewis.
“I feel relieved and I’m really excited,” Jepsen said. “It was a long process, but I’m very grateful to be in the position I’m in, having the ability to play at the next level.
“Lewis checked all of the boxes. It’s a great program, close to home and the guys are great. It should be fun.”
His second mission won’t be done until June, when Marist takes aim at its first trip to state since winning the title in 2010.
“You know, that’s the goal,” Jepsen said. “It’s going to stay in the back of our minds because it’s the ultimate. We have to work hard every practice to get a little bit better.
“I am extremely lucky to be working alongside these guys. They are some of the best teammates I’ve ever had. So that’s our end goal.”
The early results have been impressive.
Maristwonits owninvitational on March 23, beating Minooka 25-21, 25-21 in the championship match.
Jepsen had been turning a ton of heads all weekend, compiling 51 kills, 39 digs, 11 blocks and five aces over five matches.
His 13 kills, two blocks and two aces in the championship match left a major impression on Minooka coach Mike Kargle.
“He’s everything that’s advertised,” Kargle said. “He’s a wellrounded player. He’s out there on the court, he knows his position, he knows where the ball is at. He knows what’s going on.”
The admiration went beyond his volleyball abilities.
“Honestly, I’mmore impressed with that young man off the court than I am on the court,” Kargle said. “I saw him walking around the building picking things up that people dropped. Holding doors open for them. Saying, ‘please’ and ‘thank you,’ and ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, ma’am.’
“He seems like a guy I’d like to have onmy team.”
He also seems like a good candidate to help elderly ladies cross the street.
“Well, my grandma is at every one of our matches,” Jepsen said. “She’s the best, so I make sure she is taken care of and I give her a big hug after the games. I appreciate her support.”
Much appreciated by his teammates, Jepsen used the whole court against Minooka.
During one sequence he snapped a kill down the left line, followed up with a block at the net and then dropped a soft lob off of a blocker.
On another point, Jepsen crushed a ball that left a defender rubbing the seams from his face. Four of his kills came from the back row.
Wherever Jepsen was, senior setterRocky Mayer looked to find him.
“Oh yeah, 100 percent,” Mayer said. “We like to spread him out because he can get a kill fromjust about anywhere.
“He’s almost like a third coach out there. He always helps us out in all aspects, whether it’s positivity or encouragement or even teaching us.”
It has paid off in a quality college ride not often extended to a 6-2 outside.
“It’s awesome,” Marist coach Jordan Vidovic said. “At that level, it’s the size thing that usually gets priority. A guy like him has to fully earn it.
“You have to show everything. His maturity has grown. He has worked on his physical game so much, whenhe goes against those (taller) guys, like it’s nothing. His all- around game overcomes them.”
The results are standing tall.