Mather makes matters better for Loyola

I’ve got a really cool story for you today. Marist graduate Katie Mather already has made a name for herself in college at Loyola.

As a freshman setter in 2019, she helped lead the Ramblers to their best record in 15 seasons.

Little did she know when it ended how long it would be before their next match.

“It was crazy,” Mather said. “We had our first game, and when we went on the court, we were saying how we hadn’t played in a match in 14 months. Just an insane reality.

“We were so used to just us at practice. It was nice to have different faces to play.”

What makes this story so cool? It’s so different from the way it started.

If I never called Mather the most patient girls volleyball standout in Marist history, I should have.

Talk about waiting your turn. Mather didn’t explode onto the Southland scene as a freshman. She played on the JV team.

As a sophomore and junior, she sat on the bench behind Molly Murrihy, one of the best setters in the state.

Mather sat without complaint. But she practiced with a purpose.

“It was just something that made me work incredibly hard,” Mather said. “I never gave up in my mind, mentally. I was always trying to push Molly and make her work harder, to keep her on her toes more.

“I learned a lot playing behind her. I feel like I really helped her become a lot grittier as a player. And I appreciated the time I would have my senior year.”

Marist coach Jordan Vidovic put it best about what happened next.

“When the time came, the rest is kind of history,” Vidovic said. “She came in and didn’t have to get comfortable senior year. She took the reins of everything, and she was a game-changing setter from the start.”

In 2018, Mather had an area-best 971 assists, helping to lead the RedHawks to their second consecutive Class 4A state title.

Her college recruitment is another fun tale.

Amanda Berkley was the coach at Southern Mississippi when she first contacted Mather.

“She offered me there and I visited,” Mather said. “I liked the school, but I was weighing my other options, too.”

One of them was Loyola.

“I had been talking to the coaches at Loyola, but not too seriously,” Mather said. “Loyola had it for me academically and location-wise, but the thing I loved about Southern Mississippi was the team.

“Coach was very energetic and personable. If I had to pick any team for volleyball, I would have gone where Amanda was.”

Right out of a storybook, Berkley was hired to become the head coach at Loyola for the 2018 season. Her second day on the job, she reached out to Mather.

Just like that, it was done. The perfect mix.

“It’s kind of crazy how it worked out,” Berkley said. “We were looking for her to make an immediate impact. And she really did well for us her freshman year.

“Katie brings a lot of energy. When she comes in, she just brings a fire with her.

And probably the biggest thing that makes her special is her competitiveness, her will to win.”

Mather had a team-best 678 assists as Loyola (21-11) posted its best record since 2004.

“It was an amazing opportunity,” Mather said. “I’m so thankful I was able to play my first year. Having my senior season going the way it did at Marist really prepared me.

“I don’t think anyone could have prepared me better than coach Vidovic. He 100% runs his high school program identically to that of a Division I level. Thanks to him, it was a lot easier for me to adjust to the college atmosphere.”

Mather took the time to send her appreciation.

“I remember her texting me as a freshman during her first preseason,” Vidovic said. “She told me how comfortable she was at Loyola and how things came quickly to her. She felt physically and mentally prepared.

“That was a really cool text. When I saw that, I was like, ‘Man, she’s ready to go.’”

Just try stopping her now.