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CR alum Sanders eager to take Baylor to next level
  
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By JIM CARLEY
Former Cinco Ranch volleyball star Kate Sanders is excited about going into her third season on the Baylor University team this year.
But it will be hard to top what she and teammate Anna Breyfogle did for their summer vacation. The two Lady Bear standouts toured Europe on a study program paid for by Baylor.
“It was amazing,” Sanders said of the five-week study program. “It was so much more than I was expecting. I learned so much about the different cultures all over Europe. Anna and I had a great time.”
The two juniors-to-be went to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and England working on projects for a business entrepreneurship class they both take. They had to finish one large project at the end of the program, but still found time for plenty of sight-seeing at such places as the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace and countless castles around Europe.
“It just blew my mind all the places we saw,” Sanders said. “It surprised me all the things I learned about the different cultures and how you couldn’t say certain things around certain people because they’d think it was an insult. It was a lot of fun learning so much.”
Sanders and Breyfogle even got in a little beach volleyball in France and got to watch the U.S. Olympic gold medalist duo of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor in a tournament there.
The European vacation was a fitting compliment to an outstanding sophomore season Sanders had at Baylor last year. She recorded 478 kills on the season, the ninth-best single-season total in Baylor history, as she started 29 matches.
She also had a number of sparkling individual games. Sanders had 25 kills and 21 digs against Kansas State, her first career 20-20 match and only the 21st in Baylor history.
She followed that by recording 22 kills and a career-best 28 digs at Oklahoma for her second straight 20 kill-20 dig match. Only one other Baylor player has ever recorded 20 kill-20 dig performances in consecutive matches.
“I had a really good year,” said Sanders, whose career average of 3.36 kills per game ranks fourth in Baylor history. “I couldn’t believe how much I improved.
“I was the starting outside hitter and for the first time I played all the way around on the front.
“Last spring, I worked a lot on my defensive skills and it really showed a lot. I actually surprised myself. I loved it.”
Sanders had 20 or more kills 10 times, including a career-high 25 kills on two occasions. She registered 10 or more digs on 20 occasions and topped 20 digs in three matches.
“I wanted to work on my defense last season,” she said. “I think it helped my overall game a lot.”
Sanders also was named the SMU/Radisson Invitational Most Valuable Player and made the All-Tournament Team at the University at Buffalo Classic.
The District 19-5A MVP when she helped lead the Cougars to a 33-4 record and the area finals in 2005, Sanders knows she has set a high standard for herself going into this season. But she’s not worried about individual honors.
“Honestly, this year I want to concentrate more on the team aspect,” Sanders said. “I want our team to do well.”
Last season, Baylor was 14-17 overall and finished eighth in the Big 12 with a 6-14 mark. But Sanders and Breyfogle, who led the Big 12 with 1.54 blocks per game, are among four starters and seven letter winners back for the Bears.
“I think we’re going to be a lot better,” Sanders said. “I want us to be a Big 12 contender this year.”
But it will be hard to top what she and teammate Anna Breyfogle did for their summer vacation. The two Lady Bear standouts toured Europe on a study program paid for by Baylor.
“It was amazing,” Sanders said of the five-week study program. “It was so much more than I was expecting. I learned so much about the different cultures all over Europe. Anna and I had a great time.”
The two juniors-to-be went to Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, France and England working on projects for a business entrepreneurship class they both take. They had to finish one large project at the end of the program, but still found time for plenty of sight-seeing at such places as the Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace and countless castles around Europe.
“It just blew my mind all the places we saw,” Sanders said. “It surprised me all the things I learned about the different cultures and how you couldn’t say certain things around certain people because they’d think it was an insult. It was a lot of fun learning so much.”
Sanders and Breyfogle even got in a little beach volleyball in France and got to watch the U.S. Olympic gold medalist duo of Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor in a tournament there.
The European vacation was a fitting compliment to an outstanding sophomore season Sanders had at Baylor last year. She recorded 478 kills on the season, the ninth-best single-season total in Baylor history, as she started 29 matches.
She also had a number of sparkling individual games. Sanders had 25 kills and 21 digs against Kansas State, her first career 20-20 match and only the 21st in Baylor history.
She followed that by recording 22 kills and a career-best 28 digs at Oklahoma for her second straight 20 kill-20 dig match. Only one other Baylor player has ever recorded 20 kill-20 dig performances in consecutive matches.
“I had a really good year,” said Sanders, whose career average of 3.36 kills per game ranks fourth in Baylor history. “I couldn’t believe how much I improved.
“I was the starting outside hitter and for the first time I played all the way around on the front.
“Last spring, I worked a lot on my defensive skills and it really showed a lot. I actually surprised myself. I loved it.”
Sanders had 20 or more kills 10 times, including a career-high 25 kills on two occasions. She registered 10 or more digs on 20 occasions and topped 20 digs in three matches.
“I wanted to work on my defense last season,” she said. “I think it helped my overall game a lot.”
Sanders also was named the SMU/Radisson Invitational Most Valuable Player and made the All-Tournament Team at the University at Buffalo Classic.
The District 19-5A MVP when she helped lead the Cougars to a 33-4 record and the area finals in 2005, Sanders knows she has set a high standard for herself going into this season. But she’s not worried about individual honors.
“Honestly, this year I want to concentrate more on the team aspect,” Sanders said. “I want our team to do well.”
Last season, Baylor was 14-17 overall and finished eighth in the Big 12 with a 6-14 mark. But Sanders and Breyfogle, who led the Big 12 with 1.54 blocks per game, are among four starters and seven letter winners back for the Bears.
“I think we’re going to be a lot better,” Sanders said. “I want us to be a Big 12 contender this year.”
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