Katherine Mattes '23 Recruiting Profile

Hello there! My name is Katie Mattes. I am a setter from Saratoga Springs, New York and I am graduating in 2023. But these are all things you can learn about me from a glance at my page. Ever since elementary school, I have been a girl of many interests. From honors band to CYO sports I was always doing something to keep myself occupied outside school. So when I went to my new 6-12 school, I learned about another sport that changed my life: volleyball. 

I tried out, successfully made the team, and stayed on that team for the rest of my years there. I learned many lessons from being on this team, from hard skills such as fundamental volleyball that I went on to fall in love with and refine, to soft skills like communication on a volleyball court, how to take and use feedback well, and leadership. I was captain on my first volleyball team in modified, and again in ninth grade when I became the youngest captain on the JV volleyball team. Then, when the school club team formed, I joined and was moved up from 14U to 16U to fill their setter spot. Through these experiences, I was lucky enough to see what it’s like to be an official leader on the court as well as a new player on a higher level team. Then, this year I tackled a new feat: transferring schools. 

I was a late transfer, and I was not able to play on my new school’s volleyball team due to the fact that they already had their setters established. But I wasn’t about to let that stop me. I reached out to multiple clubs, going to tryouts to find a new place to grow myself as a volleyball player and fulfill my need to play. I was successful and made it onto Northeast Thunder, a club organization I had played against in past tournaments. I was always in awe of their camaraderie and class, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity now to be a part of their family for the final chapters of my high school volleyball career. 

As I look to my college future, I see myself as a setter on my college’s volleyball team and starting on my path to becoming a doctor of pharmacology. This is my top career choice for many reasons, one of the main ones being that when I was seven I was diagnosed with celiac disease. It’s a chronic genetic disease, with no cure but no fatal risks for me. Having to adjust to that in my life made me wonder if I could dedicate my life to finding cures or aids to diseases that currently don’t have any. 

As your player, you can expect me to be cooperative, teachable, driven, and most of all, passionate. Passionate about my teammates. Passionate about bettering myself. Passionate about this sport that we all love. You can expect me to be there, in any way I am needed.