A total of 11 teams will participate in the Carolyn Hummel Invitational volleyball tournament Saturday at the Jackson High School gym.
The tournament is named in honor of Carolyn Hummel, who passed away in June of 2009. She was a pioneer of girls athletics.
Mrs. Hummel graduate from Danube High School and went on to graduate from the University of Minnesota with a degree in physical education and health. In college she participated in volleyball, basketball and track and field.
She began her teaching career in Lakefield in 1970.
When she arrived in Lakefield, female athletes participated in GAA activities, but not competitively. Mrs. Hummel began the process of competitive games with other school districts in the 1972-73 school year.
She would retire in 2004 after 31 years of coaching the Lakefield Panthers, Heron Lake-Okabena-Lakefield Silver Bullets and Jackson County Central Huskies.
Her teams compiled a record of 555-182-13, a winning percentage of .740.
JCC won state Class AA championships with Mrs. Hummel as the head coach in 1999 and 2003.
A factor in the success of the high school programs locally was the the successful Junior Olympics volleyball program she started at a time when the majority of the J.O. programs were in the Twin Cities area.
Mrs. Hummel was inducted into the Minnesota Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012.
She also coached basketball and had success in that sport as well. The Panthers won District 7 championships in 1978 and 1980.
Her passion for her student-athletes extended beyond the court however.
She called her student-athletes "young ladies" and impressed them on the value of conducting themselves in a classy manor and being good citizens.
Mrs. Hummel and her husband, Ron, raised three children, Michelle (HLOL Class of 1996); Angela (JCC Class of 2001) and Jon (JCC Class of 2004).
The tournament
Pool play starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The host Huskies will play in Pool A along with Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Worthington and Rochester John Marshall.
JM won the most recent tournament, which was held in 2019.
After pool play, the teams will advance to Gold, Silver and Bronze divisions.
CAROLYN HUMMEL INVITATIONAL
Pool play
Pool A: Jackson County Central, Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Worthington, Rochester John Marshall.
Pool B: Red Rock Central, Triton, New Ulm, Windom.
Pool C: Luverne, Murray County Central, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda.
Bracket play
Gold Division
Pool A 1st place vs. Wild Card 1
Pool B 1st place vs. Pool C 1st place
Losers play in 3rd-place match
Winners play in championship match
Silver Division
Pool A 2nd place vs. Wild Card 2
Pool B 2nd place vs. Pool C 2nd place
Losers play in 3rd-place match
Winners play in championship match
Bronze Division
Pool A 3rd place has bye
Pool B 3rd place vs. Pool C 3rd place
Winners play in championship match