When freshman Kaitlin Sather joined the UCLA women’s
volleyball team, she thought her first season would be spent having
a supporting role coming off the bench.
She got a pleasant surprise.
Instead of being relegated to the bench, Sather has started
every match so far this season for UCLA, and has become one of the
players the team relies on most.
Through the team’s first eight games, she leads the Bruins
in total kills, kills per game and aces and is second on the team
in total points.
“I had no idea that I was going to get to play so
much,” Sather said. “I knew that we have a really good
program and that I would have to work hard just to get any playing
time. I definitely didn’t expect to play at all this early in
the season.”
With the graduation or departure of seven players from last
season’s team, there were several starting positions open at
the beginning of the year waiting to be filled. But even with the
open spots, Sather only saw herself as filling a supportive
role.
“When I got here and saw that a lot of people had
graduated, I knew there was a chance that I would get to play at
least some time,” Sather said. “I still thought that I
would be on the third team or maybe the second team and that my
only chance to play would be to go in to serve if someone was
having a bad day.”
By with consistent improvement in practice, Sather has
distinguished herself from the other players vying for a starting
spot, and she has solidified her role as one of the team’s
best players.
Sather has had three matches of 20 or more kills, a feat no
other Bruin has accomplished even once.
“Kaitlin has been extremely successful with her attacking
abilities,”UCLA coach Andy Banachowski said. “She is
very talented and knows how to keep the ball in play. She is able
to come up with big kills while making a minimal amount of
errors.”
Though Sather far exceeded her own expectations for the amount
of playing time she would be getting this year, Banachowski knew
right away that she would have an enormous impact on the team.
“Within the first week of practice she showed the potential
to play all the way around the court, which is important in what we
were looking for,” Banachowski said. “We recruited her
to be an impact player right away because we saw that she had great
all-around skills and was not afraid to be in the
limelight.”
Sather, who always receives significantly more hitting attempts
in each match than any other Bruin, is the team’s first
option for getting a kill.
And Sather has none of the arrogance that a freshman being asked
to play such a large role might develop. Instead, she is humble
about her achievements, partially because only a few months ago she
was excited just to be a part of the UCLA team.
“I chose UCLA because the coaching staff is legendary, the
campus is great, the academics are amazing, and there is such a
history of success here,” Sather said. “When I came to
visit, all the players seemed like nice people who would be fun to
be with. Everyone is here to win, and I just wanted to be a part of
that. I never anticipated playing so much, so my own playing time
was not the major factor in my coming here.”
Sather first started playing volleyball in sixth grade for the
Empire club team, and it was only a year later that she first
visited and fell in love with the Bruins while accompanying her
older sister on her UCLA recruiting trip.
She began dreaming of attending a big-time volleyball school
herself, and strove to improve every aspect of her game. Her hard
work paid off, as she was one of 12 girls named a Mizuno first-team
High School All-American, and was listed as a top 20 player by
prepvolleyball.com.
Though she was recruited by every Pac-10 team, Sather knew UCLA
was the place for her.
“I play volleyball because I love to compete and I love to
win and I hate losing,” Sather said. “This is such an
amazing opportunity. Here there are 17 girls who all work toward
the same goals and share the same feelings I do.”
With seven freshmen on this year’s team, there were
initially some doubts that the new players would feel comfortable
playing with more experienced Bruins. But the team has become very
close off the court, making it easier for Sather and the other
freshmen to feel confident.
“The freshmen fit in perfectly with our team personality
and the older players have really bonded with all of them,”
junior Nana Meriwether said. “Kaitlin is a great addition to
the team because she is really humble but knows how to get things
done. She is fitting in well and taking charge in the matches. Her
potential is great and can only go up.”
Though she expected her role on the team to be far less than
what it is, Sather has shouldered the load of sustaining the Bruin
attack quite well.
“Kaitlin is comfortable with the team even though she is a
little overwhelmed with everything that’s being asked of
her,” Banachowski said.
“It’s not too often that a freshman would be on the
court all the time, but she has adjusted very well and is getting
better and better.”
Despite Sather’s new status as one of the stars of the
team, there are still several aspects of her game that can be
improved. As with many freshman, she must still work on adjusting
to the fast speed of the college game. Sather must also become a
more accomplished blocker in order to better her overall game.
“The college game is not about who is the biggest or
strongest player on the court, but who is the smartest and works
the hardest,” Sather said. “Volleyball is a game of
mistakes and it’s a matter of who makes less of them, so
I’m always looking to improve my mental game.”
While she has only a few weeks of college experience, Sather has
already shown herself to be capable of leading the Bruins in big
matches.
In the Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge final against Hawaii,
Sather led all players with 21 kills and was named to the
All-Tournament team.
“Kaitlin is definitely going to become the player on the
court that will be our big kill person,” Banachowski said.
“She possesses a nice confidence about herself and she is not
afraid to take big swings. She leads the team by her example and
confidence. I certainly think and hope that she will be a stalwart
on this team for years to come.”
Sather has already progressed from expecting to warm the bench
to being the Bruins top hitter in only a matter of weeks.
And she hasn’t even officially started her freshman year
yet.