BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford Athletics Student-Athlete Spotlight series, presented by Coca-Cola, returns this week with sophomore libero Kate Morgan of the volleyball team.
 
A native of Waxahachie, Texas, Morgan credits a simple email with playing a very important role in her recruitment to Samford.
 
"It was kind of random," Morgan said. "I was in my recruiting process for volleyball and at one of our tournaments after COVID hit, two of the Samford coaches came to my court. I guess they said something about me. My teammate's dad heard them, and he came over to my dad and me and they were like, 'hey they were talking about you. Maybe you shoot them an e-mail to see if it could work out.' So I sent an e-mail and they responded. They said they were interested, so I came on an academic visit. I loved it. I thought it was a beautiful campus, and they had all the academics that I needed so I committed. I met everyone for the first time in-person on report day my freshman year and I'm so thankful it worked out."
 
It took no time at all for Morgan to make an impact on the court as a freshman in 2021. She saw action in 27 of 29 matches and led the team with 332 digs.
 
"I definitely did not know that was going to be as big of an opportunity for me as it was," Morgan said. "(Coach Chan) was like, 'I got really good players here,' which is awesome. That was even more attractive for me at the school. He said, 'you're probably not going to play until later in your career'. That's fine. I'm willing to be there and just put in the work until I earn it and luckily, I got the chance as a freshman. I just wanted to go in and work as hard as I could, and the team was awesome. They were so supportive about it. My mindset was just work hard. Come in every day and give it my all and it paid off my freshman year, which was awesome."
 
Morgan credits the support that she received from upper classmen like Emily Naubert and Andie Salasky, who also play on the back row as defensive specialists, for helping give her the confidence to go out and be successful.
 
"They're the best," Morgan said. "They're like my best friends. They supported me immediately when that happened. They came to me and they said 'If you need anything let us know. You're going to do great. You've earned it. Just keep working hard.' That's the best thing you could ever ask for, especially as a younger player coming in. They made it so easy and they gave me the confidence to go out there and play like I needed to and I am forever grateful to them."
 
That confidence has translated into even more success in 2022. Morgan currently leads the Southern Conference with an average of 4.68 digs per set and ranks atop the league and 16th in the country with 41 service aces. She has also been named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Week on two separate occasions this season.
 
"I definitely feel like I'm playing the best volleyball (of my career) with these coaches and these teammates," Morgan said. "They've pushed me beyond what I really thought I could do and I'm definitely a smarter and better player than I was even last year. The best thing I ever heard growing up in the athletic world was to stay confident, but never be cocky. I'm confident enough to know that I can do it. I put in the work, but I'm also humble enough to know I can't do it without my teammates. I can't do it without hard work and my coaches there beside me. I know there's still lots to do, but yes it definitely feels good to get recognition."
 
Morgan and the Bulldogs have posted a record of 13-9 this season and currently sit second in the SoCon standings with a conference-play record of 8-2. They'll be back in action this weekend with a pair of road matches at Chattanooga on Friday and ETSU on Saturday.


 
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