Cathy Schreiber, Collinsville High School’s 6-foot-3-inch outside hitter, will continue her volleyball career at the University of Evansville in Indiana as a walk on.

Cathy Schreiber, who will play volleyball at Evansville. Her parents Maureen and Bill are seated with her / Photo by John Layton

However, her decision was less about the chance to keep playing volleyball and more about what she will study while in college.

“I got into the physical therapy program at Evansville. It’s a direct entry program,” Schreiber said. “Volleyball was kind of an extra thing.”

Schreiber said she contacted Manolo Concepcion, the head coach for the Purple Aces, after she was accepted into the physical therapy program and inquired about a spot on the volleyball team.

Cathy’s father, Bill Schreiber, said Evansville was one of his daughter’s first choices as far as education goes.

“The opportunity to get into that direct entry program, into physical therapy, is what drew her to the school and made her decision,” Bill said. “Volleyball was secondary.”

At Collinsville, Schreiber was named a first team all-Southwestern Conference player in 2012 and 2013. She played 87 games for the Kahoks during the 2013 season.

Over the course of those games, Schreiber accumulated 481 digs. She also averaged 3.55 kills per game, with a total of 309. She garnered 62 blocks, of which 35 were solo. She scored 158 points and struck 37 aces.

Schreiber admitted, though, that she took a little time to find her way as a volleyball player.

“As a freshman, I wasn’t very good,” Schreiber said. “I didn’t start playing volleyball until seventh grade. After my freshman year, I started playing club volleyball, and I got a lot better.”

She made varsity in her sophomore year and played the right side, although she usually plays the middle. She returned to her normal spot in her junior year, which she said was her favorite year as a Kahok.

“We really meshed as a team, and we were really good,” Schreiber said.

Schreiber mother, Maureen, said the fact her daughter is going to be all the way over in Evansville, Ind., which is over two hours away, is wonderful.

“She had opportunities to go to a school out by Chattanooga, Tenn. She was considering one up by Drake (Iowa) and Kent State (Ohio),” Maureen said. “They were eight hours away.”

As for her final season at Collinsville, Schreiber said she played the outside and had a lot of fun as a senior.

“It’s over now,” Schreiber said. “It’s kind of sad.”