On a team full of loud and energetic girls, Catie Fredrich is an outlier.
The sophomore may stand out in her red libero jersey, but her presence on the court for the Ball State women's volleyball team couldn't be more different. No matter what the situation may be, she's calm and steady, never letting a mistake get to her, or the moment take control of her emotions.
It's a far cry from former Ball State libero and 2010 Libero of the Year Alyssa Rio's outlandish and brash attitude on the court, but it's what makes Fredrich one of the most integral components of this year's team.
"She never gets too high and never gets too low," coach Steve Shondell said. "[She] just goes out and does her job, and competes hard for Ball State volleyball. She's very consistent day-in and day-out, mentally and physically."
Fredrich inherited the role as the team's starting libero after Rio graduated this spring. By starting every match since the beginning of the season, Fredrich has amassed 271 digs in 63 sets played for an average of 4.30 digs per set.
She played one of the best matches of her career against Western Michigan on Saturday, finishing with a career-high 30 digs. Her play was good enough to earn the Mid-American Conference West Defensive Player of the Week Award.
It's been a rapid development for Fredrich, who has only been the team's starting libero for 17 matches.
She attributes her growth to Rio, who has mentored her as well as the rest of the defensive backcourt players as Ball State's student assistant coach this year.
"She's helped me with everything," Fredrich said. "She gives me advice 24/7. Basically she wants me to be a big role out there, so she just keeps putting that in my head over and over until I start getting it. It's paying off an awful lot."
Rio's influence on Fredrich, as well as the rest of the team, hasn't gone unnoticed by Shondell. It's one of the reasons he brought her on to the coaching staff in the first place.
"Alyssa's been a great influence on all of our backcourt players, and she's been a good role model for Catie to look up to," Shondell said.
Shondell and Rio saw Fredrich's promise early in her freshman year. While she did play behind Rio as a defensive specialist, she managed to record a digs per set average of 2.40, flashing her defensive potential in every match.
The quality of her play has only gone up with her opportunities on the court this season. Her lowest amount of digs came in Ball State's first match at five, while the highest came in her most recent match with 30.
It's only more evidence that Fredrich is still young, and will continue to develop and mature in the next two years with the team.
"I still think she's still a sophomore and there's so much more she can learn, but she's played really well, especially with just getting a game with 30 digs," Rio said. "And honestly, those are the kind of games I expect out of Catie because I think she's that good of a player."
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