Kombrink gears up for final season at McKendree
O'Fallon grad was all-conference as junior
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| MCKENDREE UNIVERSITY PHOTO O'Fallon graduate Katelyn Kombrink earned all-conference and all-region honors as a junior on the McKendree University volleyball team. |
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smarion@yourjournal.com
O'Fallon graduate Katelyn Kombrink had a superb junior season for the McKendree University volleyball team, but she hopes the best is yet to come.In 2007, Kombrink earned first team all-American Midwest Conference honors. She led McKendree with 386 kills, 159 blocks and 74 service aces. She ranked second in the AMC in hitting percentage at .346 and was fourth in total kills. Her 74 service aces were third in the conference and the total is the second-highest in a season for the Bearcats. Kombrink also ranked among the conference leaders in blocks.
"It's hard to believe that it's going to be coming to an end," Kombrink said of her collegiate volleyball career. "I'm going to be a senior and a leader. I don't feel any pressure, but I have a lot to accomplish in my last year. We'll see how it plays out.
"There will be four seniors on the team and my setter (Dana Maedge from Highland) is going to be a senior too. We communicate really well together."
McKendree posted a 22-17 record last year, including a 9-5 mark in the AMC. The Bearcats lost to Missouri Baptist in the AMC semifinals.
"Last season we started off really well and then kind of leveled off midway through," said Kombrink, a 6-foot middle hitter. "There were a few problems on the team, but overall it was really good.
"I wasn't expecting all of the awards that I got. I got first team all-conference and first team all-region and I got academic (all-conference). I was also named (McKendree's) offensive player of the year. That was voted on by my teammates and I wasn't expecting that. I thought it would go to a senior, so it was a pretty nice honor."
Kombrink was slowed by a shoulder injury during the Bearcats' practice sessions this spring.
"It was something that just happened - I was serving and all of a sudden it hurt really bad, so I went over to the sideline and sat down," Kombrink said. "It was a problem off and on during spring ball, but it's getting better now.
"During the spring we have practices a couple times a week and some of the girls will get together to play. I wasn't able to play because of my shoulder, but we had a tri-match with two other teams. They were junior colleges, so it was a chance for Coach (Evelyn Bean) to see some other players. I was just a referee because my shoulder was hurt."
As a freshman at McKendree, Kombrink played on the junior varsity team.
"I did really well on the JV team and at our end of season meeting, (Bean) said 'you're going to be our starting middle hitter next year.' " Kombrink said. "That was a surprise because our seniors that year were really good and I had some big shoes to fill.
"I've improved over the years and worked hard to try to get where I am. My freshman year I was kind of timid, but now I feel like this is it and I've got to let it all out. My teammates are counting on me."
At O'Fallon, Kombrink played volleyball and basketball for four years, track for three years and soccer for one year.
"I liked volleyball a lot, but I liked basketball the most," she said. "My junior and senior years, I kind of changed my mind and I decided I wanted to play volleyball in college.
"I didn't want to go very far away to school and I've always wanted to be a teacher and McKendree has a really good teaching program, so that was a plus. Coach Bean wanted me, so that was even better. I knew I could play volleyball and get a good education.
"I'm majoring in secondary education and I'm on path to graduate next spring. I'll do student teaching in the spring, which I'm really excited about. I won't find out where I'm teaching until after Thanksgiving break."
Sports plays a big role in Kombrink's family. Her brother Craig played football at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and her sister Courtney, a 2008 O'Fallon graduate, recently signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of Illinois-Springfield, a conference rival of McKendree.
"We'll have at least two conference games versus each other and we could play them one or two more times, so that will be fun," Kombrink said. "She was uncertain whether she wanted to play or go to a bigger school and I told her she would enjoy (playing volleyball in college). You meet great people and it keeps you active. You know you have to keep your grades up and there are certain responsibilities being an athlete in college, but it's worth it.
"I said 'Courtney, you're good and you need to go play somewhere.' I'm really happy for her, although Coach Bean (who also recruited her) probably wasn't as happy. But she's going to go into social work and UIS has a really good program, so it's a good situation for her."
"We're going to be a little inexperienced because we had a lot of seniors last year and a couple other girls didn't return. It will be a younger team, but I don't think that's going to matter because we have really good hitters. I think we'll be a pretty well-rounded team. Coach Bean is expecting a lot of leadership out of me, so I'll do my best with that too."
