The Herald was fortunate enough to catch up with Bonners Ferry High School junior Miranda Wenk, who was named this year’s Most Valuable Player of the Intermountain League in volleyball, in order to get to know the person behind the award.

When asked how it felt to receive such an honor, Wenk answered humbly and succintly: “It was nice to get some recognition for all the hard work.”

The middle blocker looks like the prototypical volleyball player--tall, lean and long-limbed--and she certainly uses her height to her advantage. Wenk dominated the front of the net all season and consistently led her team in kills game after game. Her timing and vision on the court, along with her explosive jumping and spiking abilities, are part of what distinguishes her from the competition.

Wenk moved to Bonners Ferry with her parents and twin sister when she was in the fourth grade, and she began playing volleyball in seventh grade. In the time since, Wenk has become quite the young athlete.

The high school junior also plays on the varsity basketball team, but when asked to choose her favorite sport she immediately answered with volleyball.

She plans to continue playing volleyball during this winter season as part of a club team in Sandpoint. She played for Sandpoint’s club team her freshman year, and during her sophomore year, when there wasn’t enough players to field a club team in Sandpoint, she played for a club out of Clark Fork. Playing during the winter allows Wenk to keep her skills sharp and ensures that she is constantly stepping up her game.

Although she won’t be making any serious committments for another year or so, Wenk hopes play volleyball at the college level if given the opportunity. According to father David Wenk, her parents have already begun the process of sending out recruitment letters to colleges in the state.

The MVP’s aspirations are not limited to the volleyball court, however. She also leads her peers in the classroom and has made the honor roll every year of her high school career.

Wenk, who has maintained a 4.0 gpa over the past two years, is already thinking about going to college in order to pursue her dream job as an ultrasound technician.

“I’m pretty on top of my schoolwork,” Wenk said when asked if she ever finds it difficult to balance school with sports. Although she did go on to say that travelling with the team sometimes makes the balancing act a little harder to pull off.

According to David and Donielle. Wenk’s parents, she doesn’t have much time to pursue other hobbies or special interests. Between attending school full-time, playing two sports during the winter and holding a part-time job cleaning Debbie Youngworth’s downtown office on the weekends, it’s a wonder she finds the time to rest.

The well-rounded Wenk will continue to work hard, however, and she is already looking forward to next year’s volleyball season.

“We lost a couple of seniors,” she told the Herald, “but I think we’ll do really well next year. We’ve got some good juniors and JV players coming up.”