For redshirt junior defensive specialist Katie Schoessow, the journey to doning the Blue and Gold and being a part of the Marquette volleyball program started when she was just a first-year in high school.
Schoessow committed to Marquette as a first-year in high school and has been a Golden Eagle for the past four years.
She said the decision to come to Marquette was based around wanting to be different and wanting to stay close to home, as she’s from Mukwonago, Wisconsin.
“My sister actually went to Madison (University of Wisconsin) she was a student there and I kind of wanted to be different and kind of go away from that,” Schoessow said. “I knew I wanted to stay close to home where I could have friends and family come and watch every weekend. Being able to go home, 30 minutes, 45 minutes away is huge for me.”
When Schoessow came to Marquette as a first-year, she came in with someone she’d known and played alongside since her youth.
We were on the same club team so I’ve known Katie since being 12,” redshirt junior Claire Mosher said. “So just coming to the same college together is really cool to like know someone in my grade.”
The class that Schoessow and Mosher came into Marquette with also included redshirt junior Ellie Koontz. Schoessow not only came with her volleyball skills, but her personality as well.
“She’s always had just an extremely enjoyable personality,” Marquette head coach Ryan Theis said.
First-year Jenna Reitsma said Schoessow’s personality is something she has seen on and off the court.
“She brings a lot of energy and fire to the game and she’s always someone that’s really fun to be around on the court,” Reitsma said. “She just has that joy that makes it really fun to be around.”
Reistma said the spirit and passion that Schoessow has is not only for her success but for her teammates as well.
“When I’m in the front row and she’s in back row and I get a kill, you can just see her jumping up and down,” Reitsma said. “She just brings a lot of that excitement level that makes you feel good as a hitter and as a passer.”
Schoessow has seen her role on the court change throughout her time at Marquette and has been helpful to the team by doing so.
“She has done whatever has been asked of her to the best of her ability and accepted every role,” Theis said. “One of our basic laws of the team is accepting your role and she has done that well and is an incredibly helpful player for us.”
Doing whatever is best for the team and to win is why Schoessow said she’s been able to accept any and every role.
In Schoessow’s time as a Golden Eagle, Marquette has had an overall record of 92-22.
Schoessow said out of the 92 wins, one stands out on top: beating in-state rival Wisconsin on the road in 2019.
“That was the highlight of my career, by far, because that has never been done before,” Schoessow said.
Schoessow said along with the win over Wisconsin, being a part of Marquette’s program has come with some unforgettable trips.
“We’ve had the opportunity to go on a foreign tour in Europe and that was amazing and also go to Hawaii,” Schoessow said. “Not many people can do that, not many people have those opportunities.”
Those are the kinds of memories that Schoessow said she will have with her forever and just some of the things that she’ll be able to look back at when she’s done playing college volleyball.
With the NCAA giving athletes an extra year of eligibility for playing last season due to COVID-19, Schoessow said she isn’t sure if she’ll use it or not.
“That’s kind of still up in the air. I have a couple of full-time job opportunities that are on the line right now,” Schoessow said. “I do know that regardless of the situations, volleyball will always be a part of me and it will always be something that I am.”
If this is Schoessow’s final season at Marquette, it’ll be one to remember, as Marquette won a share of the BIG EAST regular season title for the first time since 2013.
When Schoessow does decide to hang it up, Theis said they’ll be losing more than a player, but a personality.
“We’ll definitely be losing a lot of personality,” Theis said.
As Schoessow looked back on the career she’s had, one that isn’t over yet, she said it has been what she wanted.
“It’s been exactly what its lived up to,” Schoessow said. “It’s what I wanted and I got everything that I wanted out of it so I’m very happy to be here.”
For Mosher, she reflected on what its been like to have known Schoessow since they were 12 years old and how far they’ve both come.
“It’s really cool to see looking back to when we were 12 we were just loving unicorns and now we’re about to go get a job,” Mosher said.
This article was written by Ben Schultz. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @benschultz52.
