Each week, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) recognizes athletes by awarding them the Kwik Trip Athlete of the Week title for their respective sport. 

For the week of Sept. 15-21, UW-Eau Claire women’s volleyball player Bailey Leeke received this honor for her offensive play during the team’s double victory against the College of Saint Benedict on Sept. 17 and No.1-ranked UW-Whitewater on Sept. 19.

Leeke had 15 kills and 12 digs against Saint Benedict, and she tied her career high in kills with 25 successful attacks against UW-Whitewater. Overall, Leeke averaged 4.44 kills per set, 4.94 points per set and 2.11 digs per set.

Leeke is a fourth-year marketing student with an emphasis in professional sales. She said she plans to graduate this December, after which she will begin her sales position with Cintas in Eagan, Minnesota.

Growing up in Lakeville, Minnesota, Leeke said she started playing volleyball when she was eight years old. 

“You get thrown into all the different sports, kind of see what you like, and I instantly fell in love with volleyball,” Leeke said.

Leeke said her school district, Lakeville North, has an exceptional volleyball program up to the high school level. She was once coached by Jackie Richter, who previously coached Olympic gold medalist Jordan Thompson. 

According to Leeke, that experience, as well as playing with the Northern Lights club volleyball team for seven years, exposed her to a high level of competition and prepared her for college.

Leeke said she has enjoyed learning and playing various positions throughout her career.

“I actually was a setter growing up and then I switched to libero,” Leeke said. “Then probably around high school is when I started hitting, because I was pretty short up until then.”

UW-Eau Claire volleyball head coach Kim Wudi said they started recruiting Leeke during the spring of her junior year of high school.

“Bailey is an elite athlete, obviously,” Wudi said. “She’s been talented since she got here. A lot of the time when you have high-level athletes, it’s really about finding those really little ways to help them get better.”

Arriving in the fall of 2022, Leeke said she instantly found a connection with her coaches and appreciates that they care about her as a person, not just a player. She said she even considers Wudi a “second mom” and her teammates as “sisters.”

“It’s such a big family, and we always tell newcomers that it’s a home away from home,” Leeke said. “It really does feel like that, and it’s just such a positive, tight-knit community.”

Leeke said her coaches and team also place a large emphasis on mental health, a topic that is often overlooked in collegiate sports. She said they are taught that “it’s okay to not be okay, but it’s not okay to not speak about it.”

According to Leeke, she used to struggle heavily with her confidence on and off the court. During her time on the team here at UW-Eau Claire, her confidence has now become her strongest skill, and she attributes that growth to her teammates.

“When you have such a depth in your team like that, I think you would just naturally gain confidence and skill in yourself,” Leeke said. “I think we can beat anybody because of who we are as a team, our culture, but also our skill.”

Wudi said she describes Leeke as a “spicy” player, one who can take over a match while firing up the rest of her team. 

“When the other team is hoping that she doesn’t get set, that’s a really good thing,” Wudi said. “When she’s playing confidently like she has been, watch out. She’s going to make you pay for any mistakes and she’s also going to try to find a way to score.”

Wudi said she also appreciates that Leeke “thinks like a coach” and constantly communicates and collaborates with the coaching staff.

Fourth-year elementary education student Mary Zettle is one of Leeke’s teammates. She said that Leeke brings a “silly, goofy personality” to the team environment but also performs at her highest level every time she steps onto the court.

“She’s just that girl who wants to go into battle. I think that’s what we look to her as the most, is being our leading scorer,” Zettle said. “She just steps into that role and knows her job.”

Zettle said she appreciates Leeke’s selflessness and focus on the team as a whole instead of as an individual. According to Zettle, Leeke’s response to their group chat congratulating her on the WIAC award said, “Team award. Let’s get after it tomorrow for game day.”

Leeke said these individual awards speak volumes about their entire volleyball program, as it’s a different Blugold receiving the honor every time.

“I think that’s such a cool thing that, no matter what, someone can achieve an award like that,” Leeke said. “I have such a great defense behind me that I’m able to just go swing confidently knowing that my team has my back.”

Looking ahead, Leeke said she is excited for her and her team to make the NCAA tournament. The Blugolds’ next game is at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at UW-Stout.

Matczak can be reached at [email protected].