Deidra Doeden craves volleyball’s big moments.
“That feeling when you get a big kill or when someone else on the team scores a big point or gets some amazing dig, you can kind of feel the energy of the crowd and student section runs through you,” said Doeden, a junior at Cherokee Washington High School. “You’re not just playing for you, you’re playing for everyone else in the gym, rooting for you.
“There’s no better feeling, I don’t think. When you get a really intense rally going and you get the point and get to celebrate with your teammates, you’re just so proud of everyone at that time. Your ears are ringing from the loudness of the gym and the noise of your teammates; there are no words to describe it.”
Luckily for her, there’s been plenty of points to celebrate this season for the Class 3A No. 3-ranked Cherokee varsity volleyball team.
The Journal’s Athlete of the Week, Doeden anchors the middle for Cherokee and is crafting an ever-evolving game that’s helped the Braves go 18-2 through the first 20 matches of the season.
The only two losses have come against 3A No. 1 Western Christian and 2A No. 2 Hinton.
Since losing to Western, Cherokee is 5-0 with only one set loss.
“We talk about it all the time. If we are going to have a loss on our record, it needs to be a very good team, a substantial program, and both of those teams are that,” said Cherokee head volleyball coach Tara Lugar.
At 6-foot-1, Doeden, a Wichita State commit, has been a force on the block for the Braves since arriving as a freshman and helping Cherokee reach the state tournament for the first time in school history in 2023.
“This year’s team chemistry is kind of insane. A lot of us have been playing together since third grade, so we all kind of know exactly where each other is going to be on the court and what their role is. It makes it much easier to have trust in each other and play the game freely.
“We had some big holes to fill from last year, but I’m so happy with the season we’ve had so far. All the younger girls are doing great, so it’s nice to look at our record and be proud of how well we’ve done in continuing to do really good things on the court while having to fill those holes from last year.”
Despite making it to state early on, getting the attention she received on the recruiting trail solidified to Doeden how far the game can take her.
“I’ve always wanted to play at the next level, and once (Wichita State) became an option, it was the only option,” Doeden said. “When they offered me and told me I could potentially play multiple positions for them, it really hit me and became a reality, like ‘Wow, I am good enough to play at that level for them.”
“I don’t really think I realized that I was good enough for Wichita State until the day I committed.”
At 1.1 blocks per set this season (55 total), Doeden ranks fourth among players in Class 3A.
At this point in the season, Doeden also leads the team in kills (147) and swing efficiency (.450).
While those are both on pace to set career highs for Doeden, she’s also taken on more for the Braves.
“We spent a lot of time passing over the offseason,” Lugar said. “She’s done a lot of it on her club team, but we’ve really just used her as a middle blocker until this year. She’s also serving for us this year, so all of that is aimed at keeping her on the court as much as possible.
“She’s a three-year starter, and along with Addy (Wolfswinkel), those were big pieces to bring back while we had some holes to fill from last year. So I think their leadership carries down to their teammates on the court. A lot of these kids have played together for years, but are learning each other’s little niches and are coming together on the court.”
As a sophomore, Doeden finished with the second-most blocks of any player in the state (all classes) as she amassed 116 in total and averaged 1.3 blocks per set to tie for fifth-most among all classes.
She did that while also going for 186 kills with a .330 efficiency mark.
“You have to have that connection with the setter,” Doeden said. “I always watch for when the ball gets to their hands, and then I go. With the block, I’ve just always been able to have a feel for where they set up and hopefully hit around them.”
During Cherokee’s run to the state tournament in 2023, Doeden went for 107 kills and sported a .261 swing percentage with 111 blocks.
Doeden also helped Cherokee reach the state basketball tournament last winter as she led the team in rebounding with an average of nearly 12 boards a game while scoring 13.5 points a contest.
Those numbers were up dramatically from the eight points and seven rebounds she averaged as a freshman.
Her efforts on the Braves’ hoops team earned her a third team all-state nod by the Iowa Print Sportswriters’ Association (teammate Addy Wolfswinkel was also an all-stater last season).
Still, volleyball won her heart long ago.
“I’ve been playing since I was in third grade,” Doeden said. “(Coach Lugar) and (assistant coach Lyndsay Wolfswinkel) have been our coaches pretty much all the way through, and they’ve done a great job in pushing us to be the best we can be.
“I think I’ve always taken the sport more seriously than any other one. I’ve played club ever since I could start, which was probably around fourth grade. I just love playing.”
Still, when the big points are won and Doeden gets to celebrate, there’s no getting around her personality shining through as she stands a head above her teammates.
“Deidra is the class clown,” Lugar said. “She keeps it light and lively.”
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