magazine

SEEING THE COURTSEEING THE COURTSEEING THE COURT

sample spread

redbird

36 Redbird Magazine September

VOLLEYBALLAU

RE

NA

UG

HLIN

MC

COUR

TSE

EING

THE

Being in line to take hold of the reigns to the Redbird offense is the perfect challenge for an athlete like sophomore setter, Kaitlin Early, who’s the epitome of an individual with big aspirations. With her sights set on making a difference throughout her time at Illinois State, Early has continued to set herself up for greatness and test her abilities after competing with the United States Women’s National A2 program this summer. The 2012 U.S. Women’s National A2 Team program was chosen through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 10-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Student-athletes in college and with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2012 season were eligible for the U.S. Women’s A2 program. Early was encouraged by Redbird head coach, Melissa Myers, to tryout for the team, and Early knew it would be a good experience no matter how the process turned out. “Kaitlyn is a dynamic athlete,” Myers said. “She is also intelligent, highly motivated and has a fantastic work ethic. Our staff encouraged her to participate in the tryout for the opportunity to surround herself with some of the best collegiate players in the country and to gain more playing experience.” After taking part in a three-day tryout consisting of over 200 student-athletes, Early was one of the 48 student-athletes selected by a committee of coaches and staff to make the cut. The Wildwood, Mo., native joined the 2012 A2 squad June 26th at Ohio Dominican in Columbus, Ohio. This year’s group consisted of individuals ranging across 34 different

collegiate programs and was a mix of eight liberos, 12 middle blockers, 14 outside hitters, six opposites and eight setters. “Atfirst,Ithoughtjustgoingtoplayforthe A2 program was coolest part because not a lot of people have the chance to experience something like this,” Early said. “It was something new for me and Illinois State, and I have never done anything like this before.” Over a series of nine days, Early’s experience started out like a preseason camp. Forthefirstfivedays,Earlytieduphershoesand participated in training drills, scrimmages and group practice sessions. The group would practice two times a day for three hours and spent the majority of the time developing skill sets to becoming familiar with various styles of play. After the completing the pre-training sessions, the 48 student-athletes were split into four teams (red, white, blue and gold) of 12 players. Early was assigned to the gold team, whereshewasabletoexperienceanotherfirst,being trained and coached by an Olympian. Early was fortunate enough to not only being surrounded by some of the best athletes to play the sport, but to be coached by one of the best setters in the history of American volleyball, Jeff Stork. A three-time Olympian, Stork was a member of the U.S. National team that won the gold medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics, the bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics and was also part of the 1996 Olympic team. From a coaching perspective, Myers knows any chance a student-athlete gets to expand their horizons and challenge themselves in any opportunity cannot be passed up.

KAITLYNEARLY

Kaitlyn is a dynamic athlete. She is intelligent, highly motivated and has a fantastic work ethic. Our staff encouraged her to participate in the tryout for the opportunity to surround herself with some of the best collegiate players in the country and to gain more playing experience.

“

“

2012

ILLINOIS STATE

37

COUR

T “We couldn’t have been more excited for Kaitlyn that she was chosen to participate in the A2 program,” Myers said. “Any chance you get to train and compete is valuable experience, and it’s not every day that you get the privilege to work with a former Olympian.”Stork is best known for his technical approach to the game andEarlyfeltitwasanenormousbenefittobeabletospendone-on-one time with him. “Once I found out what team I was on and who my coach was, I was even more excited,” Early said. “I thought it was really cool that he has played in three Olympic Games, and I could really relate to him. He is a great coach and has played such a crucial role in the sport. I was able to learn a few tips on setting and on plenty of aspects of the game to adjust and become more consistent with my ball location.” The next three days, the four teams spent time practicing and going through light pass-and-serve sessions in the morning before heading to the USA Volleyball Girl’s Junior National Championships (GJNC) at the Greater Columbus Convention Center to compete in the evenings. The A2 teams battled in three days of pool play to establish aseedingorder,followedbysemifinalandfinalroundofthetournament. Thegoldteamendedupfinishing2-1intheA2tournament and fell to the white team in the championship match.Despitefallinginthreesetsinthefinals,Earlycreditssome of the greatest moments of her time in Columbus to the other athletes she was surrounded by. She bunked up with student-athletes from New Mexico, Virginia Tech and Iowa State, but had the chance to cross paths with individuals around the nation and learn about their collegiate experiences. “After taking part in the program, it was a huge confidenceboostforme,”Earlysaid.“IwasabletoseethatI could hang with some of the top players in the nation and realize I was one of those girls. It also pinpointed different areas of my skill sets that I need to work on to maintain a high level of competition. Developing relationships and sharing a common bond with others who love the sport of volleyball as much as she does is one of the reasons Early got involved in volleyball in thefirstplace.Earlysetherfirstvolleyballover12yearsago,when she became involved with the sport, when she played for her church team in third grade. “Back then you try every sport,” Early said. “I played soccer,basketballandsoftball,butthirdgradewasthefirstyear you could play volleyball.” Like most young children who dabble in a variety of sports growing up, Early was also drawn to volleyball because it was a connection she shared with her father. Early’s dad, Michael, played volleyball at Connecticut for the men’s club team and has been her volleyball coach for most of her life. She took her playing career to the next level and started playing club volleyball in sixth grade for the Rockwood Thunder and credits a lot of her success in athletics to the guidance and support from her parents. Early admits her mother has always been her emotional supporter and although her dad was always hard on her as a coach growing up, it has helped mold her into the person she is today. “My dad knows so much about the game, more than I’ll ever know and it is has been helpful to have him there for me,” Early said. “He was so much tougher on me than anyone else, but it really helped me learn how to take criticism in a positive way and formed me into a stronger person and athlete.” When the time came to decide on where to attend college, Early knew she wanted to stay within a close proximity to home and continue to make her mark on the volleyball court. She was drawn to a strong athletic tradition and her major, math education.

“When I came to visit ISU it just felt right,” Early said. “Not only do I love Redbird Arena, the coaching staff and the girls on my team, but ISU is a well-known institution for teaching. I knew coming in that Illinois State was right for me, and I could help turn around the volleyball program and continue to make it better.” Her decision to graduate high school a semester early is one of themanysacrificesEarlyandherfamilyhavemadetoenhanceherdevelopment as a student and an athlete. She felt the opportunity to join the team in the spring 2011 allowed for a smooth transition into a new stage of life and new it would help her in the long run. “I was ready to move on to bigger things and start college volleyball,” Early said. “Coming during the spring season, I was able to focus on school and practice. It gave me more time to settle in, get comfortable with my surroundings and get to know my teammates. Continuing to take steps in the right direction to accomplish her ambitions is a guideline Early sticks to in her everyday life and she is excited to face her next challenge, taking control of the Redbird offense. “I’ve always had a passion for setting, and it is all I’ve ever know,” Early said. “I love that you get to run the entire offense and touch the ball every time it comes over the net. As a setter you pretty much have controlofhowthatgameflowsandwhathappens,whichisoneofmyfavorite parts about it.” InherfirstyearasaRedbird,sheappearedin18matchesand ranked second on the team in assists (135) and assists per set (3.75). Early recorded a career-high 45 assists against Idaho State (9/9)andcompiledacareer-high14digs.Herherfirstdouble-doubleperformance with 13 assists and 14 digs came at Missouri State (9/16). Myers feels Early’s investments to the Redbird program are indicative to the success she’s had thus far. “Kaitlyn is quick, smart, and committed with a great attitude,” Myerssaid.“Shehasdevotedalotoftimeintofilmandexpandingher game tactics. In my opinion, her greatest strength is her desire to continually improve herself on and off the court.” Although Early admits there were a lot of adjustments throughout herfirstyearofcollege,thebiggestadjustmentshehadtomakewasmoving away from home and developing a stronger sense of time management. “The biggest challenge was juggling school, practice and all of the things you need to get done,” Early said. “There is so little time to fiteverythinginwhichmakesitthatmuchmoreimportanttodeveloppriorities and time management skills.” Heading into her sophomore season, Early is excited to embrace her new role and would like to try and run a faster offense and be able to make more defensive plays on a consistent basis. Being a part of the 2012 U.S. Women’s National A2 Team programhasconfirmedforEarlythattheRedbirdvolleyballprogramis not far off from top-program volleyball. With a few tweaks and maintainingconsistentperformances,EarlyisconfidentthatIllinoisState can become one of the top volleyball programs in the MVC. “I knew coming in, collegiate volleyball was going to be a lot, but that’s what I love about it,” Early said. “I love having long practices, weights and being in the gym. As a team, we’d like to be top three in the Missouri Valley Conference, and I know we can accomplish that.” Although Early isn’t making an appearance on the world stage, she has set a mark for herself and the future of Illinois State volleyball. After being able to put on a jersey with the letters USA masked across her chest and play the game she loves, Early has an experience many individuals spend their lives looking to accomplish.

“Kaitlyn is quick, smart and committed with a great attitude. She has devoted alotoftimeintofilmandexpandinghergame tactics. In my opinion, her greatest strength is her desire to continually improve herself on and off the court.”

““

AN E

ARLY

SNA

PSHO

T - 2

011 36 SETS PLAYED

18 MATCHES PLAYED

3 KILLS

135 ATTACKS

3.75 ATTACKS/SET

51 DIGS

1.42 DIGS/SET

1 BLOCK SOLO

5 BLOCK ASSISTS

6 TOTAL BLOCKS

8.5 POINTS

NUMBERS BY THE