ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – For the first time in three years, the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team had a new setter running its offense this weekend – but sophomore Katie Koch made sure the transition was a smooth one for her teammates.
Koch made her first collegiate start Saturday when the team took the court against SUNY New Paltz Friday in Atlanta, but she already looked like a veteran. The Bloomington native helped guide CSB to a 3-1 record in Atlanta, and recorded more than 100 assists in the process. For her big play over the weekend, Koch is this week’s CSB Athlete of the Week – the first of the 2018-19 school year.
In her first match as the team’s starting setter, Koch finished with 31 assists and seven digs in a 3-0 sweep of New Paltz. She recorded the first double-double of her career in the team’s next match, a five-set loss to Texas Tyler. She had a career-high 45 assists to go along with a career-high 13 digs to help keep her team in the match, which went all five sets, and almost every set went down to the wire.
Koch was just as good in the final two games of the weekend, which both ended 3-0 in CSB’s favor. She had 30 assists and eight digs in a sweep of Whittier, and wrapped up the weekend with 23 assista nd eight more digs against Maryville.
When all was said and done, Koch finished the weekend with 129 assists – good for 9.21 assists per set – and 36 digs. She is currently fourth in the MIAC in total assists and fifth in assists per set.
Koch and her teammates have another busy week this week as they play five matches – all at home – and host a tournament for the first time since 2014. CSB opens home play Wednesday, Sept. 5, when it hosts UW-Eau Claire at 7 p.m., then plays host to a tournament starting at 3 p.m. Friday. CSB plays at 3 and 7 p.m. Friday, and 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday.
