Beardmore: Former Batavia volleyball standout Piechota sticks it out at WCU

Before playing her first collegiate volleyball match, Caitlin Piechota was seriously considering a transfer.

But sticking with her commitment to Western Carolina University and joining a talented freshman class is a decision the Batavia grad now believes was the right one.

Early results have shown it was also the best one for the Catamounts’ program.

Recruited by coach Manuel Concepcion, Piechota – the 2010 Chronicle Player of the Year – didn’t get the chance to play for him after he unexpectedly stepped down in March following two seasons with Western Carolina.

“He left a voicemail saying he was resigning, so I called my mom (Kim) right away,” she said. “It was nerve racking.”

One of the major reasons Piechota signed with Western Carolina instead of Western Illinois, Grand Valley State University or Austin Peay was Concepcion, but with the coaching situation in flux, she gave plenty of thought about playing elsewhere.

“Yeah, I thought about it a lot,” Piechota said. “I met with my club volleyball coach (Rick Butler) to see what direction to go. He said, ‘Go and see how it is,’ so I stuck it out and went. I’m really glad I did.”

So is first-year coach Karen Glover, whose job it is to turn around a program that hasn’t had a winning season since going 22-12 in 2002.

“For the seniors, it’s been three coaches in four seasons,” Glover said. “It’s really important to create some stability for the program.”

Having Piechota and seven other freshmen contributors should help with that.

“I think we have tremendous potential,” said Piechota, who leads the club with 2.74 kills per set and is third with 124 digs. “It’s so shocking how we’ve matured so much so far.”

Glover, though, isn’t surprised at how quickly Piechota has made the leap to Division I or the accolades she already has received, including the Southern Conference freshman volleyball player of the week for Sept. 6 and the SoCon’s offensive player of the week for Sept. 19.

"She definitely came here playing at a high level," Glover said of the left-handed outside hitter.
Since meeting her new coach for the first time in June at the 38th AAU Girls' Junior National

Championship in Orlando, Fla., Piechota has moved past the disappointment of Concepcion leaving and has embraced Glover’s personality and coaching style.

“Having Karen as a coach is great,” Piechota said. “We all enjoy being around her.”

Piechota is thoroughly enjoying the college experience and working toward her degree in elementary education, but she still finds time to reminisce about her high school days, especially a senior season that saw the Bulldogs finish a team-record 32-6 with an IHSA Class 4A regional title.

“I always compare this to high school,” she said. “My senior year was amazing. I feel like this season is so long – last year was super short.”

Piechota’s family can’t attend every match like last year, but they still make the long drive to every tournament. When they can’t be in the stands, they’re always watching online, and her mom, a former volleyball player at Illinois State, will often send text messages about what to expect from an opponent.

And win or lose, Piechota always talks to her mom afterward to discuss the match and how she can improve.

"My mom is like my coach outside my coach," she said.

 • Matt Beardmore writes a weekly On Campus column for the Kane County Chronicle about area athletes competing in college. If you have a column idea, contact him at matt.beardmore@gmail.com.