Ohio State Women’s Volleyball Feature Story – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/11/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 11, 2001
by Adam Widman, Ohio State Athletics Communications Intern
Some people are just born with the natural instinct to lead others. They’re someone other people want to emulate, look up to and go to for advice. Katie Virtue, a junior setter for the Ohio State women’s volleyball team, is a proven leader on the court. When she isn’t setting up her teammates or breaking records on the volleyball court, she serves as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB) at Ohio State.
SAAB is the legislative body of the student-athletes. Article I, section two of the SAAB guidelines states the purpose is to “promote efficient communication between the OSU Athletic Department Administration and the student-athlete population … provide suggestions on programs designed to serve the student-athlete’s needs and encourage more involvement of the student-athlete in campus and community projects.”
“I’m really excited about it,” Virtue said. “We try to get teams to do more community service and things like that. Hopefully I can get a lot more people involved. I started going to meetings at the end of my sophomore year because I wanted to be involved in something like that. The first couple of meetings last year seemed so unorganized and I thought, ‘This could be so much better.'”
Virtue, an OSU Scholar-Athlete, is the ideal role model for other student-athletes. Kate Riffee, advisor for the SAAB program, says the sky is the limit when it comes to what Virtue can bring to the program as president. Riffee said “leadership comes from modeling, mentoring, then teaching,” and Virtue exemplifies that.
“I feel very confident that she’ll be able to continue the fine work that SAAB has been doing,” Riffee said. “She’s very energetic and her leadership style is very effective. She’s definitely a general out on the court and she applies that off the court. Katie has a million friends. Everyone knows her. She has a lot of people follow her because of the way she presents herself. “She’s very serious and committed to being the best possible human being she can be. She’s very committed to her nutrition, academics, athletics, and at the same time she’s a college kid. She works hard to achieve all she can while going out and meeting people at the same time. Katie achieves that balance very well.”
One of the many things Virtue would like to improve at Ohio State is increasing the support for student-athletes from their peers. Because student-athletes generally don’t have much money, Virtue is working on a program that would allow student-athletes to attend other athletic events for free, thus allowing for increased support and excitement at games.
“I would love for our athletes to have a ‘Go Bucks’ card so all the athletes can go and support all the other sports teams,” Virtue said. “That makes you feel good when you see your friends at your events. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in your own sport that you don’t know what’s going on with all the other teams.”
Growing up, Virtue always had to be at the front of the pack, leading and wanting to be the first to do everything. Katie’s father, Pat Virtue, couldn’t imagine his daughter walking in someone’s shadow.
“She’s always had a very out-going personality and always wants and accepts that leadership role,” Pat Virtue said. “When she was on the volleyball team in sixth grade all the girls had to give each other awards and Katie was given the ‘Always the First to be First’ Award. She’s a natural leader and I think her teammates and friends respect that.”
Amidst all her fans, Virtue always had one special person look up to her: her little sister, Erin, a freshman on the Illinois volleyball team. Virtue’s biggest fan growing up, Erin worked hard to follow in her sister’s footsteps. The two sisters recently competed against each other for the first time on the volleyball court when Ohio State hosted Illinois on Sept. 21. The Buckeyes prevailed, 3-0.
“Growing up together, Erin and I would always get along great but we’d also have our little sisterly fights,” Virtue said. “I would always get mad because she would always try to be like me and do all the same things I did. But it was pretty cool at the same time because I would be able to help her out and I liked being able to do that. She played the same position I did and has gone through a lot of same things I have. When she came home from practice she and I could always talk about things. It ended up being really cool that we were involved in the same sport.
“When I saw her go in against us I was really happy for her. When I went back to serve I started thinking about my dad and if he was wondering if I was going to serve her, but I know Erin. I know if I serve her that it’s just extra motivation for her to pass it perfectly. It was fun playing against her since I never had before.”
Pat Virtue knew that Erin was always Katie’s biggest fan. Though it may have gotten on Virtue’s nerves at times, she was always there for Erin, helping and giving her advice.
“Katie and Erin were very competitive growing up,” Pat Virtue said. “I think with Katie being the older one, it helps to keep Erin on her toes. Erin looks up to her a lot and they appreciate one another. Katie knows she’s a role model for Erin and being the natural leader that she is, she welcomes that role and has helped Erin mature both as a player and a young woman.”
Though almost never home, by no means does Virtue forget where she came from. She always makes time to go back to her hometown of St. Charles, Ill. There she visits grade schools and does things like help out at physical education classes, doing whatever she can do to make a difference and give back.
Virtue doesn’t let any of her activities stand in the way of her religion and attending church either. Back home, Katie and Erin always helped out during services and shared different readings for their church.
“That’s the most important thing in our lives,” Pat Virtue said. “We encourage our kids all the time to go to church, but when you see them wanting to go themselves makes us feel very proud. I tell them all the time that they are both so talented and they should give back to the community by doing things like that. They do so with open arms. They both enjoy helping others. That’s something that will always make us proud.”
