Freshman grows into top volleyball player

Whenever people talk about freshman defensive specialist Caitlyn Donahue, they inevitably extol her character — her father for her insight, her teammates for her positive energy, and head coach Suzie Fritz for her amiability.

“As a human being, she’s very likable, very fun,” Fritz said. “She’s a smart kid, does well in school. She’s the total package.”

But you will not hear any of this from Donahue herself. Despite receiving a plethora of accolades in high school, including first-team All-America, three-time Kansas 6A Player of the Year and Eastern Kansas League MVP, among others, the star defensive specialist remains humble.

“I feel like I really worked hard in high school, and I have to give tons of credit back to my team,” Donahue said. “They were there behind me 100 percent, and they helped me with all those things, and it’s great to see those awards that I got out of it, but I give it all back to my team.”

Jill Stucky, a former recruiter for the University of Kansas and one of Donahue’s role models, suspected that this unfaltering dedication stems from Donahue’s father.

“[Caitlyn] won’t get away with anything at home,” Stucky said. “[Her dad] will keep her grounded. He is such a huge personality in her life that I know she really looks up to him.”

This is also what brought Donahue into volleyball. Her love for the sport started at a young age. While most of us were still learning to tie our shoes, Donahue would religiously attend her father’s volleyball games, where she enlisted the players to teach her new skills.

“She’d always drag them out to the court ... and pass with them or hit or whatever,” her father, David Donahue, recounted. “And even when we were playing, she’d be banging balls up against the wall. She couldn’t sit there and just watch.”

Over the next few years, her skill and passion would develop progressively, leading her to join a local volleyball club. After two years, her father stepped onto the court as her coach, a position he would fill for five years. He recalled one memory of a national tournament where his daughter exhibited her tenacity for excellence.

“One of the opponents spiked the ball — even at 12, this kid just ripped it — and one of her teammates got it up but shanked it, and it started going off the court,” he recollected. “She went over and dove, and brought the ball back in, and the first two rows of parents had to catch her. I mean, this is at 12. So that was kind of fun.”

When Donahue reached high school, she had to attend tryouts. After a week of intense scrutiny, she was offered the varsity libero position, a first for a freshman.

“By the end of the week, my coaches sat me down and told me, ‘You made varsity, if you want to play, and if you’re not comfortable, you can play JV,’” Donahue said. “I was the first freshman at Blue Valley West that got that experience.”

It was at this point that Donahue began receiving national attention. Letters of interest and questionnaires poured in, some from unfamiliar schools.

“She got, probably, a hundred of those, from all over the country,” her father said. “In fact, it got to the point where she would show me one and she goes, ‘Where is this school?’ So we actually went downstairs and put up a 6x8 map of the United States. And so, when the recruiting letters would come in, I’d say, ‘Okay, go on Yahoo, figure out where it is, and stick a pin on the map, so at least you know where it is.’”

After narrowing down the pool, the Donahue had six schools from which to choose: K-State, Kentucky, Alabama, Nebraska, South Carolina and Kansas. The Jayhawks recruited Donahue heavily, and were close to landing her, but two factors ultimately led her to K-State: proximity and the coaching staff.

“She goes, ‘Dad, [KU is] too close,’” her father said with a smile. “’K-State’s the right distance that, if my car breaks down, you can get there. If I need something fixed, you can get there. I can get home when I want to, but it’s not close enough where you’ll just be dropping down for a bite for dinner all the time.’ And that’s Caitlyn.

“What she heard from Fritz was, ‘You’re very, very good, but we’re going to make you better.’ And that’s what she wanted to hear. She did not want to come to a college and that be the end of her learning, her participating.”

Fritz agreed that Donahue is extremely gifted, citing her performances in various positions around the court, and that her future will be noteworthy.

“It’ll be fun to watch her grow,” Fritz mused. “We see her as still having an immense amount of potential. We’re so glad she’s part of our team.”

Stucky suspected Donahue eventually will find her way into coaching.

“I know she’s going to be one of those kids that loves the sport of volleyball so much; there’s no way she can get out of it,” Stucky said. “She’s going to find her niche in coaching one way or another. She’s going to be great at it.”

Donahue’s father concurred, but put a different twist on it.

“She has two goals: one, to teach high school and coach volleyball, and the other one, to be rich,” he joked. “I said, ‘Somewhere, you’re going to have to [pick one].’ But she’ll never get far away from volleyball; it’s too much of who she is.”

Regardless of what is said about her future, one thing can always be agreed upon: Donahue will excel, on or off the court.

“She works really hard,” teammate Kathleen Ludwig said. “It kind of seems like she’s got it all going on. She kind of keeps it all balanced and in check.”

And this can be witnessed on the court. As a true freshman, she has played in every set, usually as a starter. At K-State, she is second in digs, fourth in kills, and fifth in aces. If karma does exist, then it has come full-circle for Donahue, rewarding her compassion and dedication with an awe-inspiring ability in volleyball.