Independent file photo RTR’s Lexi Wendland sets the ball during their match against YME on Sept. 5. Wendland will continue her volleyball career at Dakota County Technical College.

TYLER – Lexi Wendland has been playing competitive volleyball since she was in fourth grade at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton. As she got older and the level of competition picked up, Wendland set a goal for herself. That goal was to play college volleyball. Wendland recently reached that goal when she signed her letter of intent to continue to play volleyball and study at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount.

“I’m really grateful,” Wendland said. “This is something I’ve dreamed about doing since I started playing. I fell in love with the game of volleyball. It’s a real honor to continue to play.”

During her time at DCTC Wendland will be studying interior design. A big draw for Wendland was the size of each class at DCTC.

“I really liked the coach and the school,” Wendland said. “I was looking for a smaller school. I wanted to have more of a student to teacher one-on-one relationship.”

Wendland finished her senior season with 323 kills. Wendland finished the season sixth in the area in kills. Out of the five players in front of her four of them earned all-state honors and the other was her teammate, Tina Haroldson.

“I think my greatest strength is being able to see the court and where the ball needs to be played,” Wendland said.

Wendland said that she wouldn’t have been able to rack up all those kills if it wasn’t for her teammates. Wendland said that being apart of a team is the biggest reason why she fell in love with the game of volleyball.

“I love the team feel of the game,” Wendland said. “I used to compete in gymnastics and I wasn’t into the individual side of that. I like to compete as a team rather than an individual.”

That team will be the thing that Wendland misses the most about playing for the RTR Knights.

“I’ll miss the girls I played with and my coaches,” Wendland said. “They taught me a lot and really helped me grow over the last couple of years.”