From Oconomowoc to Missouri Southern

Freshman outside hitter Bridgette Jaeger comes to Southern from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin where she played volleyball for Oconomowoc High School. Shefinished her career with 839 kills and 1,270 digs, averaging 3.4 digs per set. She also played her club ball for the Milwaukee Sting.

Levi Andrew | The Chart

Freshman outside hitter Bridgette Jaeger comes to Southern from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin where she played volleyball for Oconomowoc High School. Shefinished her career with 839 kills and 1,270 digs, averaging 3.4 digs per set. She also played her club ball for the Milwaukee Sting.

What is tougher? Choosing Missouri Southern or traveling 650-plus miles from Oconomowoc, Wis., to Joplin, Mo.? For Bridgette Jaeger, choosing Southern was the easy part.

Bridgette Jaeger comes to Southern from Oconomowoc, where she attended Oconomowoc High School last year. Jaeger was a two-time All-Conference (Wisconsin Little Ten) selection and a member of the 2015 Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association All-Academic Team.

Jaeger started playing volleyball at the age of 9 with her older sister Natelie Jaeger, who also plays collegiate volleyball. It started as just another fun activity, but it soon became become something she loved.

“Honestly, I just like to be competitive and play sports,” Jaeger said. “It was just something for our family to do and we’ve loved it ever since.”

What Lions fans will love about Jaeger is that she wants to beat Pittsburg State University (Pittsburg, Kan.).

In only two weeks of school, with the first matchup against Pitt State more than 40 days away, Jaeger has quickly realized how significant it is that the Lions beat Pitt State.

“Just be better than Pitt State because we are better,” she said of her goal. “If we win one game this year (which we’ll win more), but it’s going to be against Pitt State.”

You’ve got to love that from an incoming freshman.

Jaeger is a competitor with that drive to win. She brings “game knowledge and a new attitude to the team,” said Jaeger. Now that she’s competing at the collegiate level, Jaeger says things are very competitive between her and her older sister about which program does better.

“I want to be the best out there, and I want our team to be the best out there,” she said.

That competitiveness has also brought her closer with her sister. She’s heavily inspired by her sister. Jaeger says she’s seen her sister work hard since day one. She looks to her sister for motivation and feedback simply because she’s done it already.

“I hope to be a lot like her. She’s a great leader and a very smart girl,” Jaeger said.

Jaeger is the spark plug this volleyball program needs. She loves the game, loves to compete, loves the chemistry with her teammates, and she wants to win.

“I will guarantee more wins than last year,” Jaeger confidently said.

“Bridgette is very experienced player already,” said head coach John Napier. “She’s a very good athlete. She’s a good kid and fun to around.”