Rising like a phoenix, setter August Raskie embraces a new adventure.
Story by Alex Eisen / Photo by Nicolas Carrillo
From the shadows of the Rocky Mountains to the bright lights beaming down on a volleyball court, August Raskie has built her life on embracing challenges. A left-handed, aggressive setter for the Grand Rapids Rise, Raskie epitomizes the team’s mascot, the phoenix — rising up with resilience, grit, and an unapologetically bold approach to life.
It’s fitting that a phoenix is tattooed on her right wrist, a permanent reminder of her journey.
“There’s something about the phoenix coming from the ashes,” Raskie said. “I like seeing what I’m capable of. Give me the heaviest, give me the hardest, and I want to know what I’m made of. I want to push boundaries. I want to see what I can do in this lifetime.”
Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Raskie’s upbringing mirrored the rugged beauty of the Rockies. She was adventurous, whether that was rock climbing, climbing trees, or taking a scenic barefoot walk. Scraped knees were common, as she was always on the move.
Amid the demands of working double time as both a single mother and the household's primary provider, Raskie’s mother Tara still made it a priority to ensure her children, August and her older sister Sloan, could immerse themselves in a variety of sports. These included basketball, track and field, gymnastics, and volleyball, activities that provided a positive outlet and kept them active and engaged despite facing financial hardships at home.
Tara worked 65 hours a week, splitting her time between her job as a paraprofessional at Rampart High School and her shifts at Walmart. Years earlier, she had been on track for a different future, with a partial basketball scholarship at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS). Her plans drastically changed when she became pregnant during her junior year and she dropped out of college, leaving her 21 credits shy of earning a degree in education or communication.
While juggling the demands of raising children and working, Tara attempted to return to school. She enrolled intermittently at Metro State University of Denver and UCCS. Her goal was to finish her degree, but mounting interest on her student loans made progress difficult. Tara prioritized family needs first, like paying for August to play club volleyball.
By 2010, unable to manage the payments, Tara defaulted on all her loans. She was overwhelmed. The only calls she received were from debt collectors, with no guidance on navigating repayment options or strategies for recovery. Without access to proper counseling or support, she felt her debt was an inescapable burden.
Tara insisted her daughters learn from her mistakes, appreciate the value of hard work, and recognize that true happiness isn’t found in wealth.
“My mom is amazing,” August said. “She taught me that when you don’t have a whole lot, there’s still plenty to give. She’s why I’m so organized and focused.”
Volleyball, however, wasn’t love at first sight for Raskie. She just happened to be at the right place at the right time.
“My sister was playing first, and I remember going to a camp when I was 12 or 13,” Raskie recalled. “There were too many people in the hitting line, so I went to the setter line because I didn’t want to wait around. And that’s how I became a setter. The rest is history.”
After a highly successful high school and club volleyball career, Raskie headed west to the University of Oregon, where she led the Ducks to an Elite Eight finish in 2018 and earned All-American honors. Raskie then took her talents overseas to play professional volleyball in Italy, France, and Turkey.
“My first year in Italy was a shock,” she admitted. “We went from all the amenities at Oregon to a team that had just moved up to the top division. It was a complete flip-flop, but it taught me how to keep going when things got hard.”
Her time abroad wasn’t without its lighter moments. In France, her libero couldn’t – or, according to Raskie, didn’t want to – pronounce “August” and decided to call her “Wendy” for an entire year.
“She then got pregnant and had her son,” Raskie said. “And what is her son's name? August. And I was like, this is the biggest backhand compliment I've ever had.”
Now back in the United States, after playing the inaugural Pro Volleyball Federation season with the San Diego Mojo, Raskie is eager to bring her unique style to the Rise. As a left-handed setter, she’s a rare breed in volleyball: a creative force who disrupts opponents with her aggressive play.
“The things I can do, no one else can do,” she explained. “Not in an egotistical way, but in a way that celebrates what makes everyone special. Different isn’t bad. It’s good.”
That philosophy was instilled in her by Matt Ulmer, her head coach at Oregon.
“He held me accountable and taught me to embrace my uniqueness,” Raskie said. “He’d say, ‘What you have is enough. Embrace it.’”
For Raskie, that lesson has shaped a lifelong journey of self-discovery. Her unofficial middle name, “Danger,” perfectly captures her bold spirit.
“Someone asked me during a beach volleyball tournament for my middle name, and without missing a beat, I said ‘Danger.’ It just stuck,” she said with a grin. “It honestly brings me a lot of confidence because if I’m going to wear that name, I have to walk the walk. And Danger isn’t just being overly aggressive. It’s about being brave and bold, taking chances, and going after what you want.”
That fearless mindset extends far beyond the court, defining how she approaches life itself. It’s become part of her expressive and vibrant personality.
An artist at heart, Raskie draws inspiration from the world around her, whether she’s scaling cliffs on a rock climbing adventure, or channeling her creativity into abstract paintings.
“I’ve always loved expressing myself through art,” Raskie said. “In elementary school, I’d much rather play with crayons than protractors. Art gave me a way to express myself that I didn’t have anywhere else, maybe besides volleyball. It’s all about connection — to others, to the world, and to yourself.”
It’s that same drive for connection that led Raskie to the Rise.
“I wanted to go somewhere I could be myself,” she said. “Coach Cathy [George]’s vision aligned perfectly with my style of play. It was a mutual thing. They wanted me, I wanted them. So, let’s go.”
For Raskie, volleyball is more than just a game. It’s an art form, one that requires constant reinvention and exploration.
“There’s so much more to the game than just pass, set, hit,” Raskie explained. “We want to keep it simple so we can do those things, but I really appreciate how here in Grand Rapids, we take advantage of those gaps and holes in the game. I’m a threat because we don’t just set the outside. We’re going to get everybody involved.”
That includes Raskie herself, who isn’t afraid to take a pass and spike it down for an emphatic point. Even though setter attacks go against long-standing volleyball norms. Raskie dares to be different.
“Volleyball comes from a long line of tradition: ‘This is just how we've done things, so this is how we're going to do things,’” she said. “When things are presented as different or we disrupt flow, it shocks a lot of people and they're not used to that because flow is comfortable, it's safe. If you put a little bit of danger in there, people tend to resist. We are seeing setter attacks a little bit more in the college game, which is good, because when I was in college there were maybe a few people here or there. But now I feel like it's becoming more part of the game.”
It's a volleyball culture movement that Raskie is proud to be a part of. However, Raskie is quick to acknowledge that she isn’t the original trailblazer. Her role model and inspiration came from former Penn State setter Micha Hancock (2011-14), who won a pair of national championship and a 2020 gold medal with the U.S. National Team.
“Watching her, I was like, ‘I can do that,’ and I hope someday somebody sees me and says the exact same thing,” Raskie said.
Being different was never a drawback. Now, it’s Raskie’s greatest strength. She relishes this individuality, seeing it as a way to inspire others to embrace what makes them unique.
“Being quirky and unique is something to be proud of,” she said, reflecting on her own growth as an individual and athlete. “I wish I had realized that sooner, because I spent a lot of time worrying about what people thought about me. I wish I could look at myself and be like, ‘The things that are different are really cool about you.’ So, don't try to be like everybody else.”
Raskie said that realization didn’t occur until she got to Oregon.
“Let's be honest, high school is not a great place for anybody,” she said. “We're all just trying to figure it out. And you're telling me I have to learn long division at the same time? I’m not good at math. But, yeah, college is where I met people that were different and they were like, ‘No, it’s pretty cool to be different.’”
That was on full display last season in San Diego, when Raskie routinely could be seen dancing on the sidelines and tossing up unconventional assists for the Mojo. She thrives by living on the edge but also admits that’s when mistakes can be easily made.
Not every creative idea pans out.
“Absolutely not,” Raskie said when asked if she would be bringing back her tightly woven space buns hairstyle for the 2025 season. “That gave me headaches. If my hair gets long enough, we'll see what hairstyles I can come up with, because what a great way to express yourself.”
Just as the phoenix rises, Raskie continues to reinvent herself — on the court, in life, and in the mirror, always showcasing her unique and evolving identity.