Getting to know Kaitlyn McIntyre
Editor's note: What makes up the hard-hitting freshman Kaitlyn McIntyre from Beaver Dam, Wis.?
Staff reporter Kristopher Lodes found out when he sat down with her.
Kristopher Lodes: What’s it like making such a big impact your freshman year?
Kaitlyn McIntyre: It’s kind of cool. I came in this summer not knowing what my role would be and it’s cool contributing to the team.
KL: What other schools were looking at you?
KM: Ball State, Kansas, Marquette, Southern Illinois and UW-Milwaukee.
KL: Why CMU?
KM: I loved the campus the moment I stepped on it. The girls were really nice and I liked the coaches.
KL: When did you get interested in volleyball?
KM: In sixth grade, I think. I always liked basketball and never really got into volleyball, but my mom made me go out and I fell in love with it and I started playing club (volleyball) my seventh grade year.
KL: When did you know you had what it took to play Division I volleyball?
KM: Probably my sophomore year of high school. I always knew I wanted to play college sports, but I never knew what sport and I started to excel in volleyball.
KL: How big of an influence have your parents been?
KM: I’m an only child and they have always supported me. They were always my basketball coaches with both of them playing college sports and they were always tough on me. My dad (Bob McIntyre) played at Division III Wisconsin-Stout and my mom (Melissa McIntyre) played lacrosse at Wisconsin.
KL: Who played the biggest role in creating your game that we see on the court today?
KM: My club coach Dave Bayer. I was with him for three years and he taught me a lot and developed me as a player. Also, the coaches here have been amazing.
KL: The team started the season on a five-week road trip, what would you do on the bus rides?
KM: We would watch movies, play Catch Phrase, we slept a lot and ate snacks.
KL: What do you listen to before a match to get you pumped?
KM: We like to listen to a lot of rap and dubstep.
KL: What are your goals for CMU volleyball?
KM: I want to win a lot of Mid-American Conference championships and I think we have the team to do that now.
