Ball State University Athletics
Favorite Four: Kate Avila - Women’s Volleyball
July 29, 2020 | Women's Volleyball
Photos play an important role in everyone's life, allowing us to relive some of our fondest memories and reminding us of special people, places or stories from our past.
Our student-athletes are no different, and over the coming weeks we will highlight some of their favorite images captured during their time as Cardinals.
From battling it out on the field of competition, to just hanging out with their teammates, you will get a glimpse of some of the special moments in our student-athletes' lives in a new feature called "Favorite Four."
Ball State women's volleyball graduate Kate Avila (2016-19):A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team honoree, Kate Avila (2016-19) finished her four-year playing career ranked second in program history with 2,260 career digs. She also played in a program-record 490 sets over her career, including 484 as the team's libero.
She helped lead the Cardinals to three MAC West Division titles, the 2019 MAC Tournament Championship and a berth in the 2019 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
"The Start"
This picture, to me, is the start of something great. I was just getting to know the teammates in my class, and we had a mandatory orientation assembly. We had already been through preseason, and had gone through our team handbook, outlining what it meant to be a Cardinals volleyball player. Pride was outlined, emphasizing that we always stand when our fight song is played. At the beginning of the rally, the fight song was played but no one was standing. We were presented with a choice: follow the crowd and fit in, or show pride in our school and follow our team mentality. In that moment we chose to stand. One of the only people standing, it was in that moment that I realized I was choosing to be a part of something great. Ball State Volleyball was the program for me.
"The Places I've Been"
While not the prettiest picture of my travels with the team, this one encompassed everywhere I had gone and everywhere I would go. Volleyball took me places I never thought I would get to, with some of my best friends by my side. From traveling across the country to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado to across the globe to Europe, these are memories that are priceless. Some of the funniest times were during our travels: waking up at the crack of dawn to bus to Buffalo, the airport for an early flight to Europe, or walking with my teammates to the arena for a home match. I will never forget all the places Ball State Volleyball has taken me.
"The Emotions"
This picture always brings a smile to my face. If you've watched me play you may know I'm a pretty focused player. My mom used to always tease me that she wished she saw me smile more on the court, but I would always tell her I was too focused on what was going on and making my next touch on the ball as best as it could be. The emotion in this picture represented what I truly felt like every time I was on the court- joy, ferocity, competitiveness. I would do anything to have this feeling on the court one last time.
"The Culmination of My Career"
The culmination of my career. My class had worked for this since freshman year, never sure if we would get the opportunity to hoist the MAC trophy and dance into the NCAA Tournament. The feeling was priceless. So many people helped me get to that moment and I felt like this picture was a thanks to all those that pushed me and made me into the player and person that I am. I owe all the thanks in the world to my team, for an amazing year and overall career, and this celebration was one of the most bittersweet moments I have had in my life. A true thanks to Ball State Volleyball for the amazing ride. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's VolleyballWednesday, February 25
Wednesday, February 04
Tuesday, November 25
Thursday, November 20