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| The Slinger Sisters Story December 3, 2007 By Marc Zarefsky mzarefsky@faribault.com FARIBAULT - Laura Slinger still remembers being a young girl watching her two older sisters pass a volleyball back and forth, wishing she could do the same thing. "When I was really little and they started playing volleyball, I couldn't wait to when I could start playing," said Laura, now a senior at Bethlehem Academy. "When I finally got to do it, it was so exciting." That excitement remained for Laura, who just completed her volleyball career at BA with her second state title, and the school's third in five years. This most recent championship was similar to the Cardinals' wins in 2003 and 2005 in that there was a Slinger on the team. But it was also very different. After each of the first two victories, there was another Slinger slated to be on the next season's team. Not anymore. Laura's graduation in May closes a chapter first written by oldest sister, Betty, carried on by middle sister Mary, and finally concluded by Laura, the baby of the group. Opening the book When it comes to Slinger sisters and volleyball, it all begins with Betty. Back in 1999 as an eighth grader, the eldest of the three began what would become a prolific five-year career for Bethlehem Academy, and a nine-year span of Cardinals' success, each with at least one Slinger on board. "Betty really helped us to get this thing started," said BA coach Franz Boelter, who coached all three girls. "She just had such a good sense for the game. She could hurt you with her hitting, she could hurt you with her setting, she could hurt you with her blocking, she could hurt you with her defense." What she also did was help influence her sisters to develop a passion for the game. While each developed into a standout performer on the court, that is essentially the end of the similarities between them as players. "None of the three are the same," Boelter said. "The only thing that is the same about all of them is that they love volleyball." Mary and Laura agreed that it was Betty who was the most emotional and aggressive of the three. "She was always so intense," Mary said. "She always found a way to win, or improve our chances of winning." "I think Betty was more of the take-the-lead kind of person," Laura said. "She was going to be a strong leader." Turning the pages One aspect of being a strong leader is preparing the team's underclassmen to become leaders themselves. That is exactly what Betty did in 2003 as a senior. But it was not any underclassman she was teaching. It was Mary, a sophomore on the team. "When I was a sophomore, I looked up to Betty, and was (thinking) don't make mistakes, and try to make Betty happy," Mary said. The two worked well as teammates, and were key contributors in the program reaching its second consecutive state championship, and earning its first ever state title. Betty was named Miss Minnesota Volleyball that year, and set the tone for the Cardinals recent success. She finished her career as a champion, and left knowing the team was in good hands. As a junior the following year, Mary helped lead BA back to the title game, though the Cardinals fell short against Fosston. While Betty was not afraid to show her emotions to her teammates, Mary was more of a silent, lead-by-example player. "I don't really try to do that, I just do it by nature," Mary said. "My main focus is just trying to stay composed mentally, because in volleyball, it can get crazy sometimes. That's kind of been my mentality for my entire career." Mary's senior year was marked by yet another visit to the championship game, and another state title. Like Betty experienced as a senior, Mary made the push towards the win with a younger sister as a teammate. Just as Mary had been with Betty, Laura was a sophomore on the team, looking up to her senior sister. "Her and her friends took me under her wings because I was the only sophomore on the team at that time," Laura said. "I know she helped me out." Coming to a close Laura's career with the Cardinals nearly replicated the path Mary took. As a sophomore, she was a state champion. As a junior BA finished second in the state. And just as Mary was a different player from Betty, Laura was a different player too. "Laura is probably not as athletic as her two sisters were, but she has worked so hard to become the player that she has become," Boelter said. "They're all success stories, and they all put in a ton of time, but Laura's improvement has probably been the most marked improvement of the three." "Chemistry is really important when it comes to her," Mary said of her younger sister. "You can trust her, not just as a volleyball player, but as a person." Despite the differences, there was one thing that Betty and Mary both had that Laura wanted - a state title as a senior. And less than three weeks ago, she got it. The Cardinals made an unprecedented sixth consecutive trip to the state title match, and came away with their third championship in five years with a win over Windom Area. "There was a lot of pressure on Laura this year," Boelter said. "If there was a player on our team that I was more happy for than any player, it was Laura, for the fact that all three of them could achieve the same thing." Many siblings share things, but few, especially three, can share state championships, and the distinction of finishing their athletic careers on top. "It is kind of ironic," Mary said, "but it's cool to look back and realize that we had an impact on what happened on the volleyball program." The college chapter Betty left BA in 2004 with many opportunities to play Division 1 volleyball. She chose the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, where she went on to have a historic career. As a junior last year she led the country with 11 triple-doubles (assists, kills, and digs). She was a two-time All-Horizon League honoree, and finished her career this season in the school's all-time Top 10 in assists, digs, kills, hitting percentage, and games played. Betty has a 3.9 in human biology and is now aiming for med school. Mary meanwhile moved on to Concordia-St. Paul in 2006. As a sophomore this season, she was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Libero of the Year, and was one of the key leaders for a Golden Bears team that helped the school win its first national title in any sport Saturday with a victory over Western Washington in the NCAA Division II Championship. Mary also earned honorable mention to the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American team. "I think she is already one of the best, if not the best, libero in the country," said Concordia coach Brady Starkey. "Hopefully she can keep us winning, and hopefully we can take home another national championship while she's here." As for Laura, she is off to Bemidji State, where she will compete in the same conference as Mary. What about Bethlehem Academy? Boelter has the answer. "We're trying to convince the Slingers that they should adopt more daughters." |
| Laura's Bemidji State team stopped for lunch on their way to Winona State for a game the fall of 2008. |
| Concordia Wins 2008 National Championship (their second championship: Elsie, Betty, Mary, Laura, Ron |
| Betty Slinger graduated from UW-Green Bay in Human Biology in 2008, but set several records there in her four-year volleyball career. |
| Ron and Elsie Slinger have been blessed with three intelligent, athletic, beautiful daughters. All three graduated from Bethlehem Academy with at least one state volleyball championship. Betty (Class of 2004) went on to set at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; Mary (Class of 2006) was a libero at Concordia-St. Paul; and Laura (Class of 2008) is a middle hitter at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Mom and dad have followed them around the country for years watching them play through Northern Lights club volleyball and through their college careers. Life doesn't get any better than that! |
| Volleyball fans and players from Richmond, Virginia have been very supportive of the Slinger girls: Connor, Patrick and Luke Maloney all played high school volleyball at Deep Run High School in Richmond, and Luke and Patrick will play Division I volleyball together next fall at George Mason University. No. 1 Virginia fan is their dad, Tim, who has made several of the girls matches the last three years. |