Since third grade, volleyball has been an important part of life for Castle. Her volleyball journey started with Junior Bison, where she played until sixth grade. Once she got to seventh grade, Castle joined Club Bison, a club organization directed by her mother. Through Club Bison, Castle continued to work and grow as a player and person. In her freshman year of high school, she moved to MN Select, where she played on the 14U team. She attended camps, trained with her peers, and worked her way up to be one of the top players in the country.

On October 12, 2023, Castle was honored with a jersey for the 2024 Under Armour Next All-America Game at a high school volleyball game in Buffalo. “Kaia has been chosen as 1 of 24 seniors in the entire country to participate in the 2024 Under Armour Next All-America Game,” said Ziva Recek-Blackmon, an All-America Camp & Game Coordinator. 

Recipients of this award travel to Orlando, Florida to train and hone their skills. Castle, as a recipient, will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Orlando for training and competition with other high-level peers. This high-stakes game features the best high school athletes in the country and will be broadcasted live on ESPNU from the University of Central Florida on January 2, 2024. 

As well as playing, Castle has been coaching volleyball through Club Bison since seventh grade.

“When I was young, I was just coaching first grade and stepping in on the court to help my mom toss balls,” said Castle. “I wasn’t actually doing much coaching.” 

Over the years, Castle’s coaching has expanded as she has learned from her mentors. Through watching and learning from her coaches, Castle has shaped her coaching style to benefit the team as much as she can. 

“The way I act sets the tone for the team,” said Castle. 

Castle’s coaching style is especially effective with young students. Emry Mullenbach, a 7th-grade student at STFX, has been taking lessons with Castle for four months. After breaking her foot, Mullenbach was even more determined to be on the court. Castle adapted the sport of volleyball as much as possible to ensure that Mullenbach could continue to play and grow, even though she couldn’t move around the court. 

“I really liked [Kaia] coaching me when I broke my foot,” said Mullenbach. “I had to sit on a block, but she would still help me so I’d stay active.” 

Castle’s way of modifying the game for Mullenbach stretched far beyond the physical sport.

 “She just gives me that encouragement that wants me to do better,” said Mullenbach. “She’s an amazing, loving, sweet person and I love her.”

Castle’s ambitions with volleyball stretch beyond high school, and past college, too. 

“I want to play pro after [college],” said Castle. “There’s kind of a wide variety of things [I want to do]. I want to be a D1 collegiate volleyball coach, but I’m also really interested in marketing and sports photography, so I’m probably going to major in sports and history with a minor in French and marketing.” 

Castle continues to share her journey through her Instagram, @kaiacastle.

“It’s really nice to have an enclosed space where it’s okay to make mistakes and work problems out yourself on your own time, without worrying about bothering your family with loud instrument playing,” says Lexi Zheng ‘24. “Personally, I don’t use practice rooms for practicing band music, because we rehearse 5 days a week. I practice for piano recitals and exams, and I get stressed about those. Usually, I spend 20 minutes one-three times a week in the practice rooms.”

All musicians, even professionals, have to practice. These rooms provide so many opportunities for all aspiring musicians of BHS. Students can practice independently or with others; a few simply sit outside and catch up on schoolwork while listening to the overlapping music around them.

“I do my homework outside the practice rooms because I like the environment in the band area. There’s always someone that can help me with my work if I get stuck, and someone to talk to when I’m done,” says Gaia Deyoung ‘25.

There is an overwhelming sense of community throughout the entire music department, the practice rooms play a very important role in creating that environment. Students from different musical backgrounds can get together and make music together even just for a base time.

“Normally in my practice room during base, there are 3-8 people playing trombones, clarinets, flutes saxophone, or even piano. Occasionally there are a few people doing homework in the corner and listening to us practice,” says Jayde Hallman ‘25.

As students get more involved with their instrument and become more serious about their playing, practicing plays a more prominent and important role. Practice rooms provide an easy opportunity for practicing without the hassle of fitting it into your life outside of school.

“I love the practice rooms, it’s where I spend the majority of my practice time,” says Ethan Jacobson ‘24. “I wish I could use them more, as I’ve been busy with school work lately, but last year I was in them most days after school.”

The BHS practice rooms connect everyone in the music department while providing a safe space for students to evolve their skills and improve as musicians. They are a home base for many music students. Even those who aren’t actively practicing can find a home in practice rooms where their friends are practicing, or just outside them.