Her Calling

Meet Kim Kwapnioski, a volleyball official from Columbus, NE.

Emma with her mom, Kim

I’m excited to highlight our first official–Kim Kwapnioski! 

Kim is well into her 31st year as a volleyball official. She has officiated at 17 Nebraska State Volleyball Championships, is on the NHSOA board, and is a volleyball evaluator and clinician for the NSAA. In addition, she officiates volleyball at the college level. 

These are laudable achievements, for sure. But to understand how Kim got to this place, we need to go way back–back to 1972 at the Nebraska State Volleyball Championships. This was the first year of the tournament, played in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, on November 16 and 17. 

This was obviously well before her time–she would not officiate her first volleyball championship until 2007. It was her grandpa, Mike Zastera, who would work this first tournament and would set a standard for his family that spans four generations. 

Zastera, a long-time basketball coach at Immanuel Lutheran in Columbus, Nebraska, played in YMCA volleyball leagues in his free time.  His interest in the sport led him to officiate high school volleyball in 1972 when the first NSAA-sanctioned games were played. It was in that same year that he officiated his first volleyball championship in Scottsbluff. 

Zastera continued to ref during the volleyball season in the years that followed, traveling around the region with his crew each Fall. For one particular match, his partner fell ill, and he called his son-in-law to sub. Don Janssen took the assignment, and by 1982, became his father-in-law’s regular partner. 

So it was only natural for Kim to eventually wear the whistle. 

That would not happen until 1993, after graduating from Wayne State College. But her dad and grandpa planted seeds years prior that helped give Kim a head start. 

“I remember taking the test with my dad in high school,” Kim recalls, referring to the NSAA exam that is used to certify officials. “They would go over plays with me and ask me about rotations and situations,” she said.

When she finally started officiating, her dad and grandpa took her along to matches, and for 7 years they worked together, often giving each other a break during long tournaments on Saturdays.

Working together meant car rides together, with ample time to dissect games. 

“My grandpa was my worst critic. He was very by the book,” said Kim. “He’d say, ‘Blow your whistle loud. You can’t be sloppy!’” 

Kim’s dad wasn’t as hard on her as her grandpa. “Actually, I was probably harder on my dad than he was with me because I wanted to continue to move up.”

Eventually, Kim moved up enough to get the call to officiate at the state tournament.  

“My grandpa was one of the first persons I called,” she said. “His first words were, ‘Now you’re there to do business–there’s no jacking around!’” I’m so glad he was able to watch me work because he passed away in 2008.”

Kim has worked at every state volleyball tournament since, either as an official or a court supervisor. 

In 2021, Kim’s daughter Emma started officiating with her mom, marking the fourth generation of volleyball officials in the family. 

“She loves the game as much as I do, and she wants to get the call right,” Kim said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

All in all, this family has contributed almost 100 years of service as volleyball officials. Grandpa, dad, daughter, and granddaughter–they are in it for the student-athletes and the betterment of the game. It is a legacy that has both impact and staying power.

Watch Kim talk about getting started as an official and what she loves about it. She also talks about mentoring and what it takes to be a great official, and she shares more about her grandpa.

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