Cloudy / 54° F
Talent and teamwork drives Underwood senior
Published 11:15am Tuesday, March 12, 2013If Shakespeare compares life to a stage, Carly Maslowski is living out much of her play on the court.
The superstar senior of the Underwood School Rockets is a double-double- excelling in both basketball and volleyball.
Maslowski finished her last official game for the school last week, and as she reflects back on her time at Underwood, she also looks forward to applying her talent to a new team next fall in college.
Her last basketball game for Underwood was lost to Parker’s Prairie in a subsection final at UM, Morris. But Maslowski seems to take it in stride.
“We learn from our losses,” Maslowski said. “It was great to have the whole community come down and watch — we have a very good fan base.”
Maslowski’s basketball record includes being fourth in Underwood school history in points, and fifth in rebounds.
Varsity girls basketball coach Brian Hovland says she is very unselfish, but she definitely wants to win.
“On and off the floor she is a great leader,” Hovland said. “She leads by example with her hard work ethic.”
Though Maslowski credits the excellent coaching staff at Underwood, including Hovland and varsity volleyball coach Diane Ross, she also attributes her competitive enthusiasm to her family.
“My parents started me out early in sports, but they pretty much let me decide what to do when we lived in the cities,” Maslowski said. “There were not as many options when we moved up here, so they encouraged me to play and be my best.”
Maslowski’s mom coached basketball for Underwood while Carly was in fourth through sixth grade. Sibling competition with an older and younger brother, Brandon and Justin, may have added to her competitive spirit.
“I played basketball all the time with my brothers — I was taller than both of them so they would tease me and say that’s why I win,” said Maslowski, adding that Brandon sent her a message after her season ending loss saying “I’ve been proud of you since before you were taller than me.”
While basketball has been a longtime passion, Maslowski has also hit her stride with volleyball. She is a three time All Conference Player and an All State Player, she made the Wells Fargo All Tournament Team from the State Tournament, is an Academic All State Player, and is ranked in the top 100 high school players in the state.
“As the top scorer on our team for the past two years, Carly was the type of player that the team could rely on,” said Ross. “She is a terrific athlete and leader, but she is the first to give those around her credit for the team’s success.”
Carly has served as a volleyball co-captain for both her junior and senior years, along with classmate Brianna Fitzgibbons. Team building activities outside of volleyball included spending time at West Lake Resort, which is owned by the Maslowski family.
“Everyone came over and played volleyball and went swimming. We also go to games together and have movie nights,” Maslowski said, expressing confidence in the team, even after she and Fitzgibbons graduate. “They’ll be good again next year — they can see our leadership from this year and continue on.”
Coach Ross concurs.
“Carly along with the rest of this year’s seniors have made a lasting impact on Underwood volleyball,” Ross said. “The standards and expectations have been set for the future players. Now it will be up to them to use what they have learned and pass along the tradition.”
Before she leaves, Maslowski will be passing along some lessons to a younger generation when she begins coaching fourth grade volleyball at Underwood this spring.
Maslowski is headed to Moorhead State, where she has already been invited to play on the volleyball team, and plans to major in elementary education. But her immediate plans are more reflective of the teenager that she is- hanging out with friends and family and having fun.
