Leaving her family and coming to Utah from Chicago to play volleyball was not an easy decision for Karolina Bartkowiak.

"I am really close to my mother," she said, "but I like new adventures."

After all, the distance between Illinois and Utah is not nearly as far as traveling from Poland to Chicago, which Bartkowiak did at the age of 13 with her mother.

Her mother speaks limited English after a half-dozen years in America, and that was another reason the Ute volleyball player didn't want to stray too far away. But the language presents no such barrier to the Utes' junior, who played an integral role on last year's Sweet 16 team and who now captains a young Utah team that is expected to battle for the Mountain West Conference championship.

"I totally love it here," she said. "I have met so many new people."

Her mother lives with relatives in Chicago, and they are coming to Utah to visit in October.

Meanwhile, Bartkowiak hopes to fully recover from a thigh muscle injury that has caused her to miss at least two matches. Up next for Bartkowiak and her teammates is a match with BYU tonight at 7 p.m. on Crimson Court.

"It's not serious," she said of the injury, "but we'll have to wait and see what the trainer says."

Her power game is needed in the Utes' lineup as well as her leadership.

"I knew I had to step up," she said about her new leadership role, "but I did learn so much from them (last year's seniors)."

She added, "I am not a vocal person in the locker room." She then amended that saying, "I have something to say all the time, but that's not how I lead."

Utah coach Beth Launiere was able to articulate Bartkowiak's role.

"Her teammates respect her and look up to her," she said. "She is very driven and has great desire. She is the type of person you want to go to battle with."

In high school, Bartkowiak was team captain but she said, "That was a joke."

Her high school team was not serious about playing, but she played on a club team that traveled to Reno, Nev., where Launiere saw her play in a tournament.

The Ute coach made a home visit in Chicago and Bartkowiak visited the Ute campus and was hooked.

"It just felt right for me," she said.

This past summer, Bartkowiak traveled back to Poland to visit her father, who has remained there. She stayed for four weeks and visited many other relatives.

"I took a vacation from volleyball," she said.

Last year, she enjoyed more new adventures as the team traveled to the West Coast and was invited to play in several beach volleyball tournaments, where she experienced playing in the sand for the first time. She also met a few stars on the beach volleyball circuit.

In school, Bartkowiak is studying Exercise & Sports Science. She hopes to coach someday and enjoys other sports. In fact, she didn't play volleyball in Poland. She was a basketball player.

"I just love all sports," she said.

Launiere says that Bartkowiak's personality is a good combination.

"She is happy-go-lucky like, but she is a very competitive person," the coach said. "She provides great leadership for our team."

Deseret Duel

Women's volleyball

BYU (6-6, 2-0 MWC) at Utah (8-5, 2-0 MWC)

Tonight, 7 p.m.

Crimson Court, Salt Lake City

e-mail: wjewkes@desnews.com