McCarthy Rolls With Role Change

By Paul Boyd

Posted: November 26, 2009 at 5:19 a.m.

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FAYETTEVILLE — A little change hasn’t fazed Katelyn McCarthy.

In spite of standing just 5-foot-7, McCarthy was the top hitter and played all six rotations for her Bentonville High team as a senior. She also earned Most Valuable Player honors in the Class 7A State Tournament in helping the Lady Tigers to two consecutive state titles.

These days, she’s more interested in picking up those big hits, rather than putting them down. McCarthy now plays back row only as a freshman walk-on defensive specialist at Arkansas.

McCarthy said there have been adjustments to the college game and college life in general, but that one’s not been too tough.

“I love playing defense,” McCarthy said. “I just think it’s challenging. That’s my role, and I’m going to give 100 percent.”

She had options of playing a bigger role at some non-Division-I schools, including a scholarship offer from Division II Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. But McCarthy targeted a pair of walk-on invitations at the Division-I level from Illinois and Arkansas.

At first she thought about leaving the area for Champagne, Ill. But she ultimately decided to stay in Northwest Arkansas.

“I realized it’s not that bad being close to home,” McCarthy said. “My family’s always there. I don’t have to go home, but the option’s always there.”

McCarthy has been a constant for the Razorbacks this season, playing in 28 of 30 matches. Arkansas is 13-17 with one match left, but that’s a significant improvement from last year’s 7-23 effort.

McCarthy is part of a freshman class that has made a significant impact. Arkansas coach Robert Pulliza said McCarthy has been especially strong from the service line, along with her overall defense.

“The thing that’s been good from her is her serving,” Pulliza said. “We’ve got a lot of points from her serve.”

The Razorbacks have utilized three defensive specialists this season, including McCarthy. It’s a little unusual for a team to use three back-row-only players, but Pulliza said it was a way to hasten the rebuilding effort.

“It’s hard to get those six rotation athletes that can do anything and everything,” Pulliza said. “Only Jasmine (Norton) plays all the way around for us. So it’s a way to help us succeed a little bit quicker as we are rebuilding the program.”

Bentonville coach Michelle Coens, who also played for the Razorbacks, is not surprised by McCarthy’s success.

“She’s just very consistent,” said Coens, who has been in the stands to watch McCarthy this season. “She’s calm, cool and collected. You know exactly what you’re going to get from her.”

Coens even caught one of those rare moments in college volleyball. McCarthy had to play front row when the Razorbacks ran out of substitutions near the end of a set.

“It brought back some memories,” Coens said. “Inside, I’m saying, ‘She can do this. It’s OK if you set her.’”

McCarthy said it’s happened a few times this season, and she’s only gotten to hit once in that situation.

“It was weird when he said, ‘Nope, you’re staying in,’” McCarthy said. “I was like, ‘Wow, I haven’t done this in a while.’”

But that back-row-only role is just fine with her.

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