Donahue excels in new role during 2010 season

Sophomore Caitlyn Donahue shone on the front row as an outside hitter and established the fact that height is not everything. She bolstered the back row as a defensive specialist and terrified the opposing attackers with her impenetrable wall of defense. She has been in the forefront of serving and led her team with momentous runs and critical aces. It seems like she has done everything. Well, almost everything.

This season, Donahue is taking on her new position as the team's setter.

"I'm really enjoying it," Donahue said. "It's a great opportunity for me. I've embraced my position."

Her teammates agree, said Kathleen Ludwig, the sophomore opposite hitter who has paired with Donahue to make what has the potential to be one frightening duo.

"I think she has done a great job transitioning into the setter position," Ludwig said. "She's athletic, and she works really hard to get to the balls. It really helps to have her communication and work ethic out there. She just loves volleyball, and you can tell that by the way she plays. I think she has come into her position and done a really good job for our team so far."

The coaches first approached Donahue about the switch after Soriana Pacheco graduated last year and vacated the slot.

"At the end of that season, [head coach Suzie Fritz] came to me and said, ‘What do you think about setting?' and I said, ‘OK,' and just kind of went with it," Donahue said. "I just kind of embraced it. I knew that my team needed me there, she wanted me there, and if I was going to do it, I was going to do it wholeheartedly, so I wasn't going to look back and say ‘could've, would've, should've.'"

Fritz said she and the other coaches opted for Donahue to fill the open setter position because of her overall talent on the court.

"She is one of the most well-rounded players that we've got on the team," Fritz said. "She has very good instinct. She's a very good all-around volleyball player, so we felt like we needed to put her in a position of more influence."

Donahue also sees this aspect and enjoys the increased leadership.

"It gives me an opportunity to use my voice on the court," Donahue said. "I'm a really vocal player. I love to talk, so it allows me to do that."

But at the same time, she said, the burden of making the correct decision with split-second timing can be difficult.

"It does put a lot of responsibility on me, which can be stressful at times, because I really haven't been under this type of responsibility," Donahue said. "My coaches are great — they're helping me a ton — and my teammates as well. They've got my back, and, if every set's not perfect, it's okay. They know that I'll get them better the next time."

The setter position is not completely novel for Donahue. In high school, she played there some in her last season. The team had two setters from which to choose, but both were relatively young. Donahue filled the spot for a short time until her teammates grew into the position, at which time she moved back into the outside hitter role.

When she came to K-State last year, she settled in mostly as a defensive specialist. After a successful season in that position, general consensus expected Donahue to take over the libero position after Lauren Mathewson graduates this year.

"I guess it really never crossed my mind," Donahue said, adding that she would fill in wherever her team needed her.

Now her path has changed, and Fritz said the coaching staff put her into the setter position with the outlook of Donahue's next three years at K-State.

"I think that's her future," Fritz said. "We made an investment in her last spring. That was kind of our trial. You can't predict everything, but I can't see why we would make a switch."

Even so, they will continue to recruit new setters, as competition is always desirable.

Donahue also sees herself continuing as a setter.

"It's something I really want to get good at in my next three years here," Donahue said. "I have a few more years here, so why not?"

And given her performances so far this season, it is going to be an exciting three years.