Sports

Coaches Spotlight: Chelsea Meierotto

By Hailey Hokanson (hhokanson@css.edu)

October 25, 2024

 In her second season as head coach of the Saints volleyball team, Chelsea Meierotto is starting to find her stride as leader of the team. The sixth head coach of the program, Meierotto got her start in the gym as a first grader in Northern Wisconsin. “My parents were high school volleyball coaches, so me and my siblings were kind of like gym rats,” Meierotto said. “I’ve been in the gym since then, and obviously, if you’re there that long, you start to like it.”

     She has three siblings, two sisters and one brother, and had the opportunity to play with both sisters during her high school career at Washburn High School. A 2002 high school graduate, she was a four year starter and helped lead her team to two state tournaments, including a championship in 2000. 

     After high school, she placed her first Duluth based roots as she joined the Bulldogs. 

“I went to UMD and played (volleyball) there for four years, and I was lucky enough that my younger sister followed me there, so I got to play with her again for two years,” she said. 

     A setter and outside in high school, Meierotto transitioned to a role as libero during her years at UMD, making two Final Four appearances and earning the Defensive Player of the Year award during her time there. 

     The challenge of playing collegiate volleyball was no sweat for her, something she credits to the values her parents raised her with. “I feel like my parents had prepared us for challenges, so you just work hard,” she said. “I was surrounded by a lot of good teammates that made the transition better and very welcoming.”

     Following her college graduation, she returned home to the Ashland, WI area. “I wanted to go back home because I loved the area. I kinda stayed in the coaching role for high school, middle school, and club,” she said. “It’s been in my life forever, so it doesn’t really feel like a job or work. Learning from my parents, I found that giving back to the kids and the community is so important, and of course it’s not just about volleyball. It's about shaping them for life and challenges.”

     She entered her first college coaching gig in 2019 at Northland College after taking a brief time away from coaching. “An opportunity presented itself back home at Northland college, and I thought why not get back into coaching more full time,” she said. “I spent four and a half years there prior to getting here at (CSS).”

     While at Northland, Meierotto earned UMAC coach of the year honors in 2020-2021. During her time so far at CSS, she led the team to a 3-22 record during the 2023 season before turning it around this year to an 11-12.

     “Everyone here has been very welcoming and helpful, and it's nice to be in my second year here now, because after you’ve been through one season, there’s always some adjustment and rebuilding with the team,” she said. “I really feel like this year, they have all bought in, and I give a lot of credit to the upperclassmen for just wanting to lead by example and make everyone feel like a real part of the team.”

     Off the court, Meierotto loves being outdoors and hiking, but mostly enjoys the quietness when she can get it. She also makes sure to go home as much as possible, keeping to her hometown roots where she first played the sport she loved years ago. “I love spending time with my nieces and nephews while they’re growing up,” she said. “I get home almost every week mainly to be with my dad and extended family.”