Seven Lakes volleyball team preps for 1st state tournament

KATY, Texas – It’s a first for the Seven Lakes volleyball team: a trip to the state tournament. In fact, the chance to win the first state title in volleyball for Katy ISD is now in front of the Spartans.

They’ve been to the playoffs for four consecutive seasons, but they earned their first regional championship, beating several outstanding teams including Ridge Point, Pearland Dawson, then a five-set thriller over Clear Falls for the trip to state.

"It was the toughest road we’ve had, but we knew we just had to take it one game at a time, get through each opponent and that’s what we did,” said senior Dani Batenhorst.

About that final point in regional, Batenhorst said, “It was the most amazing feeling in the entire world. We’ve been working towards this so hard the past couple of years, and finally got our revenge on the fifth match, fifth game, fifth set and it was so good.”

Batenhorst was referencing the team’s heartbreak two seasons ago, when they lost in the fifth set of the regional final to Fort Bend Austin and their head coach Amy Cataline.

But Cataline is now on their side in her first season with the Lady Spartans. That match gets brought up often.

"They talk about how disappointing that was and how they remember those final two points and I remember those last two points,” Cataline said.

The team went into this regional final very determined to earn a different result.

“We need to go and get that win,” junior Natalie Winter said about their determination.

"The fact that coach Cat(aline) is now our coach it was even better to win with her. We’re ready to win, we’re hungry we want the win (at state),” Winter added. “If we can beat the teams that we were underestimated by, I think we can beat anyone."