The dream of Marist’s Maggie Kurpeikis was to go to Michigan.

Her father, Chris, was an offensive lineman in football who transferred to Michigan from Notre Dame. He made the Wolverines’ roster but then wasn’t able to play because of a back injury.

Her mother, Jeanine, whose maiden name is Szczesniak, starred at Mother McAuley in volleyball and then at Michigan as an outside hitter.

“Growing up, we would always go to Ann Arbor with my parents and I loved it there,” Maggie said. “I talked to a lot of other schools, but deep down, I knew Michigan was where I wanted to go.

“It’s always been my dream school.”

Kurpeikis, who will be a junior in the fall for Marist, took another step toward turning that dream into a reality by verbally committing in June to play volleyball for the Wolverines.

While Kurpeikis might not be a marquee name in the Southland just yet, that could change. She battled back issues that kept her out of action for the RedHawks to open the 2024 season.

It slowed down her progress in the process.

“It was an ongoing thing,” Kurpeikis said of the injury. “I was playing so much and still growing. There were a lot of different elements to it. It was a stress fracture.

“The doctors said, if I kept playing on it, I could be out for a year.”

The 6-foot-1 Kurpeikis went through the required rest and eventually made her way back into the lineup in mid-September for an East Suburban Catholic Conference match against Joliet Catholic.

After getting into the groove, Kurpeikis came through with a huge night Nov. 7 against heated rival McAuley with 11 kills for a 25-20, 25-17 win in the Class 4A Marist Sectional championship match.

Kurpeikis added six kills in a 25-14, 25-22 victory over Lockport in the state semifinals and tallied five kills and four digs in a stunning 19-25, 25-16, 25-19 victory over Benet for the state title.

“It definitely was not fun,” Kurpeikis said of being sidelined. “High school season is so enjoyable, and it’s so different from club. I was happy I could come back and do what I could for the team.”

Just stepping back onto the court off the bench against JCA was special for Kurpeikis.

“It was awesome,” she said. “Sitting around and waiting is not fun, so it felt really good to finally do what I love again.”

Marist coach Jordan Vidovic also coached Kurpeikis’ older sisters, Ellie and Jessica, both of whom have gone on to play in college at Green Bay.

Even though Maggie has been with the RedHawks for only two years, Vidovic said she has been around the school’s gym much longer.

“She’s picked up a lot from watching her sisters,” Vidovic said of Maggie. “She’s very familiar with the game and has been around the game. She’s really into the sport and has come a long way.

“The cool part is she still has a long way to go. She’s still super young. I think her injury was due to the fact she’s still growing. She still has so much more potential for her to round out her game.”

On top of that?

“She can be a dynamic all-around player,” Vidovic said.

During club, Kurpeikis parlayed her great finish to the high school season into a successful offseason and gained the attention of Michigan, a team featuring former McAuley star Ellie White.

Even though her mother and sisters were all successful playing volleyball, Kurpeikis tried out a few other sports first.

“I tried everything,” she said. “I was a competitive swimmer but I hated it. I played grammar school basketball. I kept watching my sisters play high school and club volleyball.

“I knew it was going to be my end game.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.