MUSCATINE, Iowa–With the start of the high school athletics season fast approaching, Muscatine High School has welcomed two new varsity coaches to the Muskie athletics program. Beginning this school year, Bailey Lukavsky will coach varsity volleyball and Addison Westercamp will coach varsity girls basketball.
During her own school days, Lukavsky got a lot of enjoyment out of volleyball. While playing at West Branch High School, Lukavsky earned a place on the all conference team three times and the all state team once. Her team also made it to the state tournament one year, where they earned second place. Lukavsky played volleyball competitively for one year in college and got involved with many recreational teams. “It’s something I played for a very long time,” she shared. “It’s something I’m very passionate about, helping kids like it helped me.”
After studying at Southeast Community College, Lukavsky transferred to the University of Iowa, where she first earned a bachelors degree in English and later a masters degree in teaching. This school year, Lukavsky will teach English Nine and Pre Advanced Placement English 10. Having taught previously at Northwest Union, Lukavsky looks forward to continuing her teaching career at a larger school in a department she has found quite supportive. “I’m really excited; all the staff are welcoming,” she said.
Because volleyball season will begin in only a few weeks, Lukavsky has already started to prepare for the season with a volleyball camp earlier in the month. “I’ve got to meet the girls, and they’re a great group of girls,” she observed. In the season ahead, she looks forward to helping the players reach their goals and build on the positive energy they already have.
Originally from western Iowa, Westercamp played many different sports at Molton-Udelll High School. “I’ve been around sports all my life, and I have the drive for it,” she said. After starting at a community college, Westercamp transferred to Iowa Wesleyan University where she played softball and earned her bachelors degree in teaching physical education.
Westercamp taught junior high school physical education in Fairfield for a year while also coaching a variety of sports. This year, she embraces the opportunity to teach elementary physical education at Grant and Mulberry Elementary Schools. “It’s the little kids,” she remarked. “They’re a bundle of joy and a ball full of energy, to say the least.”
Continuing her coaching career, Westercamp will get to focus her energy on many fewer teams this year, primarily coaching the varsity girls basketball team but also coaching the junior high school volleyball team as well. “I’m excited for a different atmosphere,” she said. Having never coached at a 5A school before, she believes working in a bigger school and district will give her more opportunities to help her team than she had previously.
As both Lukavsky and Westercamp adjust to their new roles, they eagerly anticipate getting to know the Muscatine Community better. Lukavsky feels pleased to have moved back closer to her family, which comes from around the eastern Iowa region. Westercamp welcomes the challenge of, “just getting settled,” and getting to know, “just the way of life and how it is,” as Muscatine represents the largest city she has ever lived in.