East County Athlete of the Week: Kate Johnston

Colin Burns has seen all sorts of statistics in his time around volleyball. This season is only his first as the girls volleyball coach at Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy, and already, he's seen something entirely new. Freshman middle blocker Kate Johnston served 24 consecutive times in the first set of Lakewood Ranch Prep's match against Bayshore on Aug. 25, which the Eagles won 3-0 (25-0, 25-6, 25-6). Eleven of her serves were aces. Johnston, who moved to Florida from Illinois before this season, is the East County Athlete of the Week.

What has been your early impression of your team?

It's amazing. I think our team's really good. My teammates are very nice to me and welcoming since I'm new to this school. It's (all about) teamwork — we really like to work together.

How are you a better player now than you were last year?

I feel like my setting has definitely improved, because my coach (at Illini Elite Volleyball Club) was a setter coach, so he helped me through my setting. But also, I feel like my hitting has definitely improved and so has my blocking.

What are your goals for this season?

My goals are definitely having fun, getting better on setting — I'm still trying to improve on that — and working as a team.

When and why did you start playing volleyball?

I started playing volleyball when I was in third grade. My mom (Christy Johnston) played volleyball in college — she played at Illinois State — and I absolutely adore volleyball. She put me into this league at this little gym and we would play. It was so much fun. My teammates were so nice to everyone and I really enjoyed it so I wanted to continue that journey.

Why have you stuck with this sport?

It's definitely about the teamwork and meeting new friends. My friends that I met at Illini Elite (were) so nice to me, even though I was only there for one year. Then, I came here, and the girls were so welcoming to me.

Which quote or piece of advice inspires you?

This one might be a little common, but my favorite is, "Be a goldfish" (have a three-second memory). Whenever someone tells me that on the court or I remind myself that, I just forget what mistake I made three seconds ago and then I move on to the next play.

What's a fun fact about you not many people know?

I love pasta. I absolutely love it, and I adore it. I eat it all the time. Everywhere we go, my dad's like, "What do you want after your volleyball game?" and I'm like, "I want pasta."

Who is your favorite athlete and why?

My favorite athlete is Kerri Walsh (Jennings). I adore her mindset. I follow her on Instagram and she has a lot of good quotes that I love. It helps me power through volleyball.

If you could go anywhere for a dream vacation, where would you go and why?

I'd want to go to Italy, because I'd want to eat all their homemade pasta.

Finish this sentence. Kate Johnston is...

Fierce.