Freshman Sensation: Kendall Kritenbrink, USD

by Kolbe Nelson
October 17, 2011 6:08 PM


Coming out of high school people knew Kendall Kritenbrink, our Taco Johns Athlete of the Week, was going to be a star.

"In our business we talk a lot about program changers and we thought she had the potential to be a program changer," USD Head Volleyball Coach Matt Houk said, "Be a kid that would come in and really make a mark right away."

But not even Houk thought she would be as good as she's been so quickly for the Coyotes.

"She's our terminator right now," Houk said, "You don't see that out of a freshman a lot of times"

Through USD's first 21 matches this year, Kritenbrink led the yotes in kills with 245, 80 more than her next closest competitor on the team and she led the Summit League in kills per set with a 4.15 average.

"It's been exciting," Kritenbrink said, "I haven't really been expecting it, but I don't know, I've been working hard every day in the gym and it's been really fun."

So how did a freshman get to be so dominate? Well, it doesn't hurt that her older sister Kristin was a star for the Coyotes up until last season.

"She had three years of Kristin playing for us and getting to see what it was all about." Houk said.

But while Kristin may have taught her some tools of the trade, it was Kendall's hard work that made all the success possible.

"Everyone expects that she taught me a lot," Kritenbrink said, "But I just knew that I had to come in here and fill a lot of big shoes and that's what I've been doing lately."

And the freshman hopes to be doing it for quite a while longer.

"I just want to be able to be there for my team all the time and be able to get the kills that we need." Kritenbrink said.

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