Yasmeen Johnson likes to talk.
That’s a good thing if you’re her teammate on the Mundelein girls volleyball team, but it might not be a good thing if you’re someday on the other side of the courtroom from the Mustangs junior, who is considering going into law after high school.
“I’m not totally sure what I’ll do after high school, but I’ve thought about the medical field and being a lawyer,” said Johnson, one of the leaders of the 9-11 Mustangs. “I like to argue. I mean, I like to discuss things.”
Johnson is a co-captain along with senior Madi Wilcox. The two players lead the first 30 minutes of every Mundelein practice.
“I give them the first half hour of every practice, and Yasmeen and Madi do a great job of leading the team,” Mundelein coach George Dressen Jr. said. “They do a great job of working on things that have hurt the team and improving them.”
At 5-foot-11, Johnson has the kind of size and quickness needed to excel in other sports. But volleyball became her love during middle school, and she committed herself to the sport full-time.
“I did gymnastics for so long and was really good at it but finally gave it up and got into volleyball,” she said. “I played all the sports, really, growing up, with basketball and track and field. But volleyball really stuck with me.”
Johnson will likely play at the next level, though she’s looking to finish this fall strong and lead the Mustangs a year from now.
“I’m definitely looking to play in college, but I’m not sure where at,” she said. “I just started the emailing and calling of coaches process, but I definitely want to keep playing.”
Her game continues to improve, which bodes well for her ability to play in the future.
“She’s a very energetic player that does so many things well,” Dressen said. “She’s also a great leader and the rest of the girls really look up to her and Madi, and that’s the sign of a great leader.”
Johnson has been able to enjoy her time on the court despite the fact that the Mustangs are below .500.
“I love playing volleyball, but you’re not going to win every time,” she said. “We’ve got a great group and we’re all outgoing and get along well. I love being one of the main communicators and bouncing ideas off of them and trying to win games. We
haven’t done as well as we thought, but we’re getting closer.”
