Jorie Ahlberg
Jorie Ahlberg is an athlete. A musician. A student at the top of her class.
And now she’s been recognized for it on a national scale. Ahlberg was recently named a Junior Volleyball Association Athleader — one of just 25 honorees in the country. The award recognizes student-athletes who excel in academics, leadership, responsibility and acts of selflessness.
“I feel really good about it because I’ve been working really hard,” Ahlberg said. “I’ve worked hard on my school, and I work really hard in volleyball. I kind of proved that it pays off. And I’m really proud of myself, and I know how to play like a team. It just feels really good to know that I’m recognized as a player.”
Ahlberg, currently a senior on North Star’s volleyball team, is involved in numerous additional activities: from choir, to student leadership, to volunteering in her church. It’s this well-roundedness that brings pride to her mom, Kirstin Ahlberg — who also happens to be her volleyball coach.
“[I was] surprised because it’s so few in the nation, but she is such a — I’m gonna start crying because she’s my kid,” Kirstin said. “I’m so proud of her as a person. Not only is she a talented volleyball player, but I’m incredibly proud to be her mother. How much she gives to others. And she’s in everything. And she’s a very good leader for our team.”
Jorie is a crucial piece of the volleyball team as a setter, constantly keeping points alive and creating opportunities for her teammates to put the ball away. It hasn’t been the smoothest ride for this year’s Bearcats — despite an overall winning record, they’ve taken tough losses to teams like Nelson County and Benson County, and have dealt with some injury issues, too.
“We started really strong, and then we kind of hit the midseason slumps,” Jorie said. “But we’ve been working on our mentality, and we’ve switched up things in our practice to make us better. And I think that shows on the court… Everybody makes mistakes. We’re getting better. We really are.”
Having her mom as the head coach has worked out, too, despite initial reservations about the idea from both. It requires a strict separation of the two roles depending on the time and the place.
“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Kirstin said. “It wasn’t exactly what we wanted to happen, but she’s done a very good job of being patient with me, and knowing that when we walk into the gym, I am her coach. She’s not my kid anymore. She’s a player… And at home, I try to separate it as well. When I’m home, I’m Mom. I’m not Coach. So we leave all that at the door, and if we have to talk about volleyball, we do it at school.”
Jorie said she’s enjoyed the experience of her mom leading the team.
“I thought that it was gonna be a little harder than it actually is, with my mom being my coach, because, you know, little things annoy you,” she said. “But we actually get along pretty well. And it’s really fun to play for her. She’s a good coach.”
Off the court, Jorie has been involved in Family, Career and Community Leaders of America since she was in seventh grade after being introduced to it by her peers.
She’s now the president of FCCLA at her school.
“I finally got to that part in my life where I was like, ‘I’m ready to take leadership,’” Jorie said. “And so I became the president. And it’s really fun. We do a lot of good things there.”
When it comes to the classroom, Jorie has a 4.0 GPA and is ranked No. 1 in her class. She’s also a member of the National Honor Society. She was named Academic All-Region in volleyball and basketball during the 2022-23 school year, and in basketball in 2024 as well. Achieving that standard requires a balance with all her extra activities that isn’t always easy, she said.
“I’ve struggled a lot,” Jorie said. “But because I’ve struggled, I’ve learned how to do it through adversity, and it’s made me stronger. And because I’m stronger, then I can balance sports and all the clubs I’m in and all my studies. And it’s just hard work. It really is. But I’m still proud of myself that I’m able to do that.”
As her mom, Kirstin tries to help her stay well-rested for all the things she’s involved in. But so much of it, Jorie does on her own.
“We always stress that she needs sleep, because we need sleep to rest so that we’re ready to go for volleyball. Which she does; she manages her time well. She does,” Kirstin said. “And she just makes sure she gets things done. She’s a hard worker.”
Then there’s music, which has taken Jorie all the way to Europe. She said both sides of her family are very musical, and she’s been involved in the exemplary Cando music program since she was a young kid.
Jorie plays piano a lot on the side, Kirstin said, but her principal passion has been choir.
“That’s also hard work,” Jorie said. “But it’s really fun. It’s something I enjoy, so it makes me better at it, too.”
In 2023, Jorie was the FCCLA Music STAR Event region winner. She one-upped herself by becoming the state winner, too, and then being named third in the nation. It led her to represent North Dakota at the International Northern Musicians Abroad in the summer of 2024.
“She really, really loves music,” Kirstin said. “And we have a really good music program at Cando. It’s been an awesome experience that she’s gotten to do that. We have really good music teachers that were willing to nominate her for that. So the experiences she’s had there, as well, have been amazing. It’s tough for her to probably pick between music and sports because she loves them both so much.”
From June 18 to July 3, Jorie and eight other people from her school traveled to five different European countries — meeting people and making music along the way.
“It was a great experience singing with people who love music and seeing all these things that not a lot of people have seen before,” Jorie said. “I loved it.”
But Jorie’s interests aren’t just limited to the talents she displays athletically or musically. She volunteers at her church’s K-6 youth group, along with being a Sunday School teacher, scripture reader, greeter and usher. She also offers her time at the Cando Area Food Pantry and donates supplies to her school’s Comfort Cabinet for those less fortunate.
Not to mention the T-ball, Pee Wee baseball and softball coaching she’s done, along with volunteering at a car and machinery wash and concession stands. She’s also the Secretary of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), and she led the SADD local carnival from 2022 to 2024.
“I love helping other people because it brings me joy to see them be happy,” Jorie said. “I’m really strong in my faith, and I love teaching people about Jesus. And especially little kids, I help with that too. It’s something that’s been a part of my life, and I really enjoy helping other people.”
Which of Jorie’s passions will take her the furthest in life remains to be seen. She continues to play volleyball, not only on the North Star team but additionally for the Lake Region Volleyball Association, which is run by Steve Waddell, who’s also the head volleyball coach at Lake Region State College. Volleyball has brought her not just athletic success, but introduced her to new people and experiences.
“I just love playing with people who love volleyball,” Jorie said. “And I’ve made friends through that too. I know people on [Benson County] that we played together for a really long time. And I love Steve too. He’s a really good coach, and they have a really good program there, so it’s made me a better player, for sure.”
Still in the early part of her senior year, Jorie’s steps beyond high school aren’t set in stone yet. But she’s keeping her options open, and she’s given herself a vast array of potential opportunities with all the activities she’s pursued through her time growing up in Cando.
“I want to go into psychology, academically. I’m really interested in how that works,” Jorie said. “I might go to MSUM [Minnesota State University Moorhead] for four years. UND [University of North Dakota], I’m thinking. I might go play volleyball. I don’t know yet. It depends on how I’m feeling at the end of the season.”
The Cando community will just have to wait and see what she chooses. No matter what, it’s hard to imagine that she won’t have success in her elected field.
But for now, Jorie, her mom and the rest of the North Star volleyball team will try to finish this season out on a high note.
