Hit, Attack, Spike: Katy Ehnstrom Defines MVP

(Photo taken from Skidmore Athletics website)

Katy Ehnstrom ‘20 always knew she wanted to play volleyball at the collegiate level. Starting the sport during middle school, Ehnstrom wasn’t always serious about volleyball. She started playing year-round in highschool, gradually getting into it, and, eventually, followed in the footsteps of her parents and started to get more competitive about volleyball. Now a senior on the Skidmore women’s volleyball team, Ehnstrom shares her experience on the team and playing the sport. 

"Most of my teammates from high school and club were also very serious about playing volleyball in college, so that influenced my decision as well,” she says. “I made sure the schools I chose to apply had teams I could play on.” But it wasn’t always like this. Ehnstrom only became more intense about the sport when she moved to Hawaii in high school, where volleyball is a part of the culture. From there, Ehnstrom became more serious about the sport, and ultimately decided to continue in college. 

Last season (2018-19), Ehnstrom was considered one of the more dangerous offensive threats in the nation, leading her team with 110 sets played, 378 total kills, and 60 blocks, along with a school-record of an average hitting percentage of .813 in a game. She was also named All-Liberty League First Team, American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-New York Region First Team, and team most valuable player. 

When asked what that felt like, Ehnstrom said, “last year, getting the team MVP meant a lot to me! It had been one of my goals since freshman year, so it felt satisfying to reach that goal. ” Winning team MVP came as no surprise, as Ehnstrom broke out as a key hitter her freshman year, starting in all 32 games and finishing second in the Liberty League with total blocks and hitting percentage. She only gained momentum her sophomore and junior year, to ultimately achieve her goal of becoming team MVP. 

As for this season, Ehnstrom shares that the season is going a lot better than she expected it to. With only seven returning players, but welcoming nine freshmen, the new mix of players could have been “a recipe for disaster.” But, according to the talented middle hitter, the season has gone very well. 

“Everyone on the team has a lot of individual talent,” she explains. “It was just a matter of putting that all together into team chemistry. If we beat Vassar and Bard this weekend, I believe we will have a spot in the playoffs, which is super exciting! I'm really proud of my team.” 

When asked what was the most exciting win this season, Ehnstrom says it was the game against Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) a few weeks ago: “They won the Liberty League Championship last year, and didn't lose any starters. We went into the game with nothing to lose, and came out with a win! It was that moment where I realized we have a chance to make it to the playoffs this year.”

She adds that, “another exciting win for me was last year when we played Vassar College. My sister is now a sophomore on the Vassar team, and it was the first time I've ever gotten to play against her; it was really exciting! We will actually be playing them again this Saturday (Oct. 26) at 4 p.m.” 

 Although a senior and a veteran on the team, Ehnstrom notes that she still gets nervous and excited before going into a game. “Before warming up, we all take two minutes of individual time to visualize how we are going to play.” This season, she has also been practicing breathing techniques to calm down in order to focus on the game. She normally does this during the National Anthem before the game. 

 This method seems to work as Ehnstrom and the rest of team are 10-10 overall, and she has made Liberty League honor roll this season (Sep 3), marking her 1000th career kill. 

Ehnstrom, who is a Health and Human Physiological Sciences Major,  plans to attend a Physical Therapy Graduate Program, or possibly work for a year if that doesn't work out. She also hopes to continue playing volleyball in an adult league, or club team. 

“I haven't thought too much about it, but I know my parents have some connections in the adult volleyball world, so I know I'll be able to continue. It's just a matter of where I end up, and how soon I get back into it.”

But no matter where she ends up, Ehnstrom is thankful that she got to pursue the sport she loves in college, her parents, her coach and her team, and wouldn’t change anything about her experience with volleyball. Perhaps we’ll be seeing Ehnstrom play the sport she loves, and excel,  again in an adult league.