High School Illustrated High School Sports Magazine
By Russell O. Karr
“Set your goals high, and don’t stop ’til you get there.” – Bo Jackson
“Honestly, I want to be the first woman to get two Olympic gold medals in volleyball; one in indoor and one in beach.” This is how Kathryn Plummer clearly and confidently explained her goals to High School Illustrated in a recent interview. Kathryn further remarked, “Our coach of the USA National team, Karch Kiraly, won two gold medals and he has inspired me to do the same, so that is what I am aiming for.”
Even though this is the kind of goal that could make someone entirely serious and somber about achieving it, Kathryn exudes a bit of playfulness in her voice as she expresses how important volleyball is in her life.
The junior star plays for Aliso Niguel High School and with the T Street Volleyball club when the high school season is complete. This sixteen-year-old star started playing volleyball while cheering and rooting for her brother, Kristian, when he played for the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club. That was when she was 10 years old.
“My brother’s coach asked me to hit a ball for him one day, and that was the beginning of my love for volleyball. It has become my life and I love it,” explained Kathryn. Within a year, the young Kathryn moved away from other sports such as soccer, softball, basketball, and applied herself to her new passion – volleyball.
Her life is “filled with volleyball,” notes Kathryn. “During the high school season we practice on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and play on Tuesday and Thursday, and during club volleyball at T Street, we practice four times a week for two or three hours, and then play games, including weekends; it’s a lot of volleyball.”
As much as Kathryn explained the commitment of time and effort to volleyball, she also related that she does have time for friends and a great family life. Her parents, Kevin and Michelle Plummer, encourage her to do her best. “They definitely encourage me to do my best, but they don’t put pressure on me. This is my choice,” commented Kathryn about her love for and commitment to the game. “My dad loved me playing soccer and my mom thought basketball was great for me, but they both fully supported my interest in volleyball.”
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