Colorado State University Athletics
In The Spotlight: Katelin Batten
9/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 23, 2008
By Luke Simmons
Athletic Media Relations
It’s game time at Moby Arena, and Katelin Batten is sticking out like a sore thumb. Again.
At 5-foot-5, she’s the smallest player on the team. She had a grand total of two kills last season (for most outside hitters, two kills is a good per-set average.) And, for some reason, she can never get on the same page with the rest of her teammates about what color jersey to wear.
But that’s exactly the point. Batten, libero by trade, is a defensive specialist for the Rams. Pick the day, time, or opponent, it doesn’t matter – she throws herself towards the ball and tumbles on the court with such reckless disregard it’s surprising that she’s not constantly covered in bruises.
“I pretty much got forced into the position because I stopped growing,” Batten explained. “And I was always pretty good at defense, so my coaches (during club volleyball) made me into a defensive specialist.”
So long as the ball doesn’t touch the hardwood on her side, Batten has done her job. And for the last two years at CSU, it’s a job she has done very well.
Last season, she was one of only two players (the other being Ashley Fornstrom) to appear in all 110 sets played. This shouldn’t be a surprise, though, considering the previous year she did the same thing. Except then she was a freshman, and was the only player on the team to achieve this iron-man feat.
Batten’s importance to the team is clearly monumental, yet in a role that didn’t even exist in volleyball until ten years ago.
The libero position was first introduced internationally in 1998, but not adopted by the NCAA until 2002. Meaning “free” in Italian, the libero is strictly a backcourt player. They are not allowed to block, have no right to attack a ball above the height of the net, and are a free substitution. Finally, in order to distinguish themselves from other members of their team, they must wear a different color jersey.
But Batten does not feel like an odd-man-out, and actually relishes her uniqueness on the court.
“It’s actually funny whenever we take off our jackets after we run in,” she said, “I always make a joke and say ‘they gave me the wrong color’ and everybody laughs.”
Other teams have taken notice of her defensive prowess, and have attempted making adjustments.
“Teams don’t serve to her, so it reduces what they can serve at,” said Head Coach Tom Hilbert. “When they do serve to her she’s accurate, plays great defense, and stops their momentum.”
Hilbert is also quick to note her significance to the team in other areas.
“She’s very important, and not only that she’s a leader,” said Hilbert. “The players all respect her, and she does a lot of important things in her leadership role.”
Opponents must take note. Do not hit the ball anywhere near No. 6. You will regret it later, after she has killed your attack and set up another ‘POINT – Rams.’
And in the sea full of green at Moby Arena, they’ll be the ones sticking out.
