The Tomlin Tigers volleyball team got off to a 3-0 start in their regular season and are laser-focused on winning counties for the first time since 2004. One of the key cogs in their machine is outside hitter Katelyn Strickland, who recorded 23 points on 23 serves against Burnett. Strickland and four of her fellow team starters are also teammates on Quest Volleyball Academy’s club squad.
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What got you into volleyball?
Just watching the college games. We used to go to the USF games and just watch them, and that’s what got me into it. FSU is my favorite team but USF started me into volleyball.
What made you go from being interested in the sport to playing it and wanting to keep going?
Going to summer camps and learning how the college players began, and how they worked so hard doing it.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve done on a court?
Pancaked…I did it my second year in volleyball. I was just going for the ball and it just happened.
Do you play any other sports?
I did cheer for seven years, then I went to basketball and soccer. Now volleyball is my main priority.
Where do you want to go to college and what do you want to study, if you’ve thought about this?
It’s huge. MIT. I want to be a NASA engineer or a SpaceX engineer. If I don’t continue with that, it would be FSU.
What’s the best advice you’ve gotten for volleyball?
It’s not about winning, it’s about how you hustle for the ball. Every play makes a point, so if you lose one point, you have the next point to get up.