.jpg)
WAYNE — Former Cedar Catholic star volleyball player Laney Kathol recently completed her sophomore season with the Wildcats.
She fits right in with the Wildcat program. “I couldn’t be happier,” Kathol said. “My teammates are great, it’s like a whole new family. I’m very comfortable here and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
After playing in front of over 90,000 fans and making it to the NCAA Division II National Tournament her freshman season, she has settled into her current role on the team with an eye on the future.
“Practices are amazing, the competition is crazy,” she said. “It’s getting to the point where it is coming naturally to me, I just react, I don’t have to think ahead.”
“Those practices are sometimes the best team we play,” Coach Scott Kneifl said. “There isn’t a lot of drop off from the starters to the people cheering on the sidelines at matches, it is very intense.”
And Kathol noticed the tempo of the matches and practices.
“Everything is a lot faster,” Kathol said. “The coaches show you something once and you’re expected to know it, you don’t do a lot of standing around.”
Playing behind a couple of two-time All-Americans in Maggie Brahmer and Taya Beller, Kathol’s on court time has been somewhat limited, but she values the lessons she’s learning and rooting on her teammates.
“They are the best,” she said of her teammates. “We all support each other and they are very helpful, they’ll answer every question you ask and give you hints to help your own game, to get better.”
Both of the All-Americans are seniors, so Kathol’s chances on the court should be pretty good down the road, but that doesn’t mean she feels like she’s made it.
“You need to continue to work hard to get better,” said Kathol. “There isn’t anyone here at Wayne State that doesn’t belong here. everyone can play so you need to be at the top of your game all the time, it’s part of why I came here. To be with the best and play the best.”
The Wildcats, currently ranked 16th in the country by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, were recently defeated in the semifinals of the Northern Sun Conference Tournament and found out Monday night they are on the outside looking in for the upcoming NCAA Division II Regional Tournament to be held in St. Cloud, Minn. ending their season with a 23-7 record.
