Q&A with Junior Girls Volleyball Player Kirsten Overton

Girls Volleyball is at a 1-1 start so far in head coach Josh McNulty's inaugural season and the girls are meshing with him well.

In the beginning of the year, he that junior Kirsten Overton was going to make a big impact on this year's squad, saying she was a power house. Overton can hit the ball hard and thinks she has the tools to be a leader on this team. Time will tell as the season goes on and the junior tries to prove herself as a dominating force in the league.

Overton took some time to sit down with Limerick-Royersford-Spring City Patch to discuss her volleyball career and life in general in this week’s Q&A.

LRSC Patch: Tell me about how you got started with volleyball: How old you were, when you realized you loved it and when you realized you were really good.

Kirsten Overton: I started actually playing on the seventh grade middle school team. My mom was a volleyball player. She kind of pushed me into it a little bit.

Patch: Did your mom play in college?

Overton: She played a little bit in college, but not serious volleyball. She knows the basics of it and she fell in love with it. I fell in love with it around ninth grade, coming into high school, because once I saw all of the opportunities and getting to watch colleges play - I was like: This is what I want to do. This is what I want to be good at.

Patch: So, you guys have a new coach this season. Can you talk a little bit about that and how the girls meshed with Josh [McNulty]? What do you guys see this season as far as your successes and failures?

Overton: As for coach, everyone loves him. He's a really friendly person and knows what he's talking about. He's really trying to get us good. As far as the girls, we have a really solid base. We just have to work out the kinks here and there, but that's how any team is.

Patch: Do you play any other sports?

Overton: I do high jump in track.

Patch: What do you like about volleyball, what do you like about track? What makes them two completely different sports for you? And so on and so forth...

Overton: Track, I think is really much more me. It's based on me. If I'm having a bad day, my teammates can't pick me up. That's just how it's going to be the rest of the day. Volleyball, the outcome doesn't depend on me solely. It's definitely more of a team thing and I really like team bonding and stuff.

Patch: Even though you guys haven't picked captains yet, do you still consider yourself a leader of this team?

Overton: I mean, I think so. Since I'm coming off of a really experienced teams and we went to nationals this summer... I feel like the girls come up to me and ask me questions and I tell them what to do. I feel like that's what a leader should be.

Patch: So, you're more vocal. You help the girls, like a team mom.

Overton: Basically. The seniors have all the big decision making. I'll leave that for next year.

Patch: How big of a role does your mom play in your volleyball life?

Overton: She's huge. She loves it. Sometimes, even though she might not like me saying this, I feel like she lives her volleyball career through me. She didn't get to go all the way. So, I feel like she's always pushing me to do better in a good and supporting way.

Patch: Do you think you can go all the way?

Overton: Olympic-wise, if luck is on my side. Right now, I'm just trying to get into college.

Patch: I know some kids don't know what college they're going to until senior year, but do you have any aspirations or are you looking at places?

Overton: Right now, I'm taking college tours and I've visited a few places that I have in mind. I've looked at UConn [The University of Connecticut], Temple [University], Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Georgia State...

Patch: So you think you have a shot at Division I?

Overton: Oh yeah. DI is definitely what I'm going for.

Patch: What about academic-wise? Are you thinking about any sort of career right now or what you want to study?

Overton: You know, right now, I really don't know. I have no idea what I want to study. I'm still in that confused state. I'll find out one day.

Patch: So, upper class now. The awkward years are over, right? But, tell me about your fondest memories of those times...

Overton: Really getting to look up to the varsity girls and the older seniors and seeing all of the experience they had. When I was a freshman, I would watch varsity and be like 'Oh my gosh, they're so good!' Now I'm here and at their level. That's really cool to think about.

Patch: Last question... If you could go back in time one year and talk to sophomore Kirsten and say here are some tips for you to get better for next year... What would they be?

Overton: I would tell myself to strengthen my whole body because I got injured last year. So, I would definitely tell myself to work harder. And also to not be afraid to voice my opinion. Because last year, I had a lot of knowledge and I just didn't say things because I was an underclassman. I feel like people still would have listened to me. But, I would definitely tell myself to voice my opinion more.