Tall and talented Maya Kondik had a choice. She could play high school volleyball at tiny Villa Madonna, where she’s been attending classes her entire school life. Or she could play for another prep program as her sister did.
Then, she had an epiphany.
“Villa Madonna is like home to me,” Kondik said. “I can’t imagine myself anywhere else.”
Kondik is a rarity. She’s an all-state-caliber standout and a future college player competing at one of the smallest high schools in Kentucky. Kondik is heading to Centre College. With a high school enrollment of about 125, Villa Madonna is significantly smaller than most others in the state.
Kondik is a versatile 6-foot senior. She excels at middle hitter and middle blocker. She leads the 21-6 Vikings in kills and blocks. Kondik’s 266 kills in 74 sets gives her an average of 3.59, which ranks 50th in Kentucky.
Kondik began the season on the Kentucky Volleyball Coaches Association preseason watch list. She is a two-time Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference Division III player of the year. She’s also a 9th Region All “A” Classic all-tournament selection.
“Maya is just a great all-around player. Our team feeds off her,” coach Sandi Kitchen said. “Her and Catherine Gifford are our 1-2 punch. Gifford leads us in assists and aces. Rebecca Raziano (second in assists) is another talented senior. I’m glad we have them all.”
Most area coaches know the Kondik name. Standing out in the middle school ranks and the club level, Kondik served early notice she was an up-and-coming talent. She played on elite club teams with teammates starring at other bigger high schools. Kondik’s younger sister, the talented Teagan Kondik, plays at Notre Dame Academy. That makes the siblings a rare sister combo playing volleyball at different local high schools.
Teagan is among Notre Dame’s kill leaders as a sophomore. Notre Dame is a 9th Region tournament staple and a Kentucky power. The Pandas have won 10 state championships, two in the past four years. They are currently No. 1 in the KVCA statewide poll and also nationally ranked.
By comparison, Villa Madonna holds its own in conference, district and local All “A” Classic tournament play. The Vikings are five-time KHSAA 9th Region tournament qualifiers over the last 15 years. Pound for pound, the Vikings annually are one of the winningest teams in the area. They instill fear in schools closer to their own size and are capable of beating bigger schools. On the last two regular season occasions the Vikings faced Dixie Heights, they beat the Colonels. Dixie Heights’ enrollment is more than 10 times larger than Villa Madonna’s. Despite the obstacles, the Vikings are averaging 20 wins per season over the last four years.
Coach Kitchen says a lot of credit goes to the seniors, including Kondik, whose impact ranges court wide.
“Maya is having an outstanding year. She’s been a significant reason for our success,” said Kitchen, who’s approaching 500 career wins in 31 seasons at Villa. “She’s tall and strong so defenses key in on her which opens up the outsides for our other hitters. And she has the power and volleyball intelligence to hit through or go around a block. Her presence at the net makes it easier for our back row to read hits.”
It could have turned out differently. Kondik would not have been the first highly regarded volleyball prospect to leave Villa Madonna. Over the years, several have left, through no fault of the coaches, to attend bigger schools playing other bigger schools. That scenario was attractive to the aspirational Kondik, who has dreams of becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon. She plans to major in behavioral neuroscience at Centre College. But it wasn’t enough to leave Villa Madonna.
“Coach Sandi is one of the biggest reasons I kept playing here,” Kondik said. “She really cares about her players, and we improve. The teachers genuinely care. I feel like I’m close to my coach and my teachers. Villa Madonna is very academically oriented and that’s one of the best parts. Plus, anybody can play sports at my school. So I can play volleyball with my friends then go watch friends play other sports. It makes it really fun.”
When a critical moment arrived in her volleyball career, Kondik began wrestling with a key question. Should she stay at Villa Madonna or should she go? In the end, Kondik stayed and became a star for Kitchen, who doesn’t always see the stars align at Villa.
“I’ve been here since kindergarten,” Kondik said. “I feel at home at Villa Madonna. I’m super happy I stayed.”
She’s not the only one who’s happy about it. Her coach and her teammates also like it.
“She’s a great teammate and a great person because she’s very kind,” said eighth grade standout Ellie Breitling. “She helps me focus on playing to the best of my abilities. “
Coach Kitchen can only hope that similarly talented players or better will follow Kondik’s lead.
“There’s glamour while not playing at a bigger school. Maya got everything she could here while playing at an elite club level and she’s going to college,” Kitchen said. “Some see success as winning a regional or state title. I want to see girls make the most of their opportunity and bloom where they’re planted. The grass may not be greener somewhere else.”
By staying at Villa Madonna, Kondik slowly climbs the leaderboards. She ranks in the program’s top five all-time in hitting and blocking. She continues to garner many honors on and off court. She’s one of eight Villa students recently earning Advanced Placement Capstone Diplomas after completing the College Board’s AP Capstone program. The research-intensive course load prepares students for university-level work. A 3.0 GPA is one of many criteria. Kondick carries a 4.13 GPA.
“Every girl’s situation is different,” Kondik said. “Of course, I’d like all our players to stay at Villa like I did. The school is great, and our coach really cares. She does the best with what she has, and she likes to try different things. I want to see the team do well, but I know it comes down to a personal decision.”
Kondik and Villa Madonna’s seniors play at least one more match before closing their high school careers. With the win over Dixie in the regular season on Oct. 14, the Vikings clinched the No. 2 seed in the 34th District tournament hosted by Lloyd Memorial. Villa and Dixie square off Tuesday in a 7:30 p.m. semifinal rematch. The winner clinches a 9th Region tournament berth and plays either three-time defending champion St. Henry or Monday’s Lloyd-Ludlow winner. The district final is Wednesday at 6 p.m. A Tuesday victory hands Villa its first regional volleyball tournament appearance since 2015.
“It’s what can happen when your best players are always with you,” Kitchen said. “Our girls work incredibly hard. They make a great team. I want them to realize they can get a lot out of volleyball at Villa Madonna. You can win a lot of games and you can win tournaments and championships. You can get a great education and you can go on to play volleyball in college because of it.”