Air Force Academy

Nov. 7, 2007

This week on "Off the Court with the Falcons", Air Force fans get the chance to meet sophomore Katie Batchelder, a 5-10 hitter from Chico, Calif. A two-year starter for the Falcons, Batchelder is the only player to accumulate over 200 kills to average 2.66 a game. In addition to a team-best 24 service aces, she is currently ranked amongst the team leaders with 202 total digs (second), 2.35 digs-per-game (third) and a .161 hitting percentage (fourth).

GETTING TO KNOW YOU ... Katie Batchelder

How did you get started in volleyball?

-- I started playing my freshman year of high school, when a friend of mine told me about tryouts.

Who are the biggest influences in your life and why?

-- My family, because they support me in everything I do, and they push me to be a better and stronger person.

How do you balance your athletics, academics and military duties?

-- I spend all of the free time I have studying and staying ahead in classes during season, and I've just gotten used to military duties, so they really don't seem like duties anymore; just a routine.

Who is your favorite non-volleyball athlete(s) at the Academy?

-- Katie Weber. She throws the javelin on the track team and she's one of my good friends, and she's very competitive. I have a lot of respect for track athletes because they are solely responsible for their successes and failures.

What is your favorite class and why?

-- French, because it is very fun to learn and I like the funny accent and body language.

Who is your favorite professor/AOC/etc. and why?

-- Major Block. She was the AOC at prep school for A squadron and I was in C, but she helped coach our volleyball team there. She always had good advice and is a great role model.

What is your favorite place on the Academy grounds and why?

-- The places that have the best views of the mountains and all of the scenery of the Academy. Sometimes I forget how pretty it is here.

Do you have any game-day rituals?

-- I lie down and listen to my iPod and relax.

What do you like best/least about playing on the road?

-- I really like the restaurants we get to eat at....

What is your favorite road trip story?

-- When we went to Virginia last season and Tracee dropped her phone in the toilet and Becky didn't see it......and then......

How do you feel that you are developing into a future Air Force officer?

-- I feel that taking on more responsibilities every year is challenging me to become a better leader by example.

What is your advice for young volleyball players?

-- Keep playing, have fun, make mistakes, be competitive, don't hold anything back.

What are some disadvantages of being tall/short?

-- I'm not exactly TALL but I'm not short.....

What were your first thoughts of the Academy?

-- That it was a tough place to graduate from.

Who are your biggest fans?

-- My parents and sister, and friends at home.

What do you want your legacy to be?

-- I want to be remembered as a hustler and a determined, tough minded player. I want to play on the All-Armed Forces team and represent the Air Force even further.

What did you work on most in the off-season to prepare for the upcoming season?

-- Healing my shoulder and increasing my power when I jump.

What are some of the favorite classes you've taken at the Academy?

-- French, Behavioral Science.

What has been your most memorable "welcome to college" moment?

-- When I first got yelled at.....

Who have been some of the players to help in your transition to college volleyball?

-- Kim, Kristina and Jaz really took me under their wing and helped me transition to the "college level".

What is the best thing about getting a really good block?

-- The look on the hitter's face and looking right back at her.

Do you prefer a great kill or a big block?

-- They're both great.....but getting a good solid kill is an awesome feeling.

What is the best thing about getting a really good dig?

-- The best thing about getting a really good dig is that you might have thought you couldn't reach the ball, but you did and it surprises you a little.