This is one in a series of stories highlighting a group of female student-athletes from Skyline who grew up together and have known each other since kindergarten. Many are following in a parent’s footsteps and going on to play their sport in college. The athletes include Cami Wiseman (field hockey, U-M); Coco Courtright (field hockey, North Carolina); Ellie Fife (soccer, Vanderbilt); Ailish Kilbride (field hockey, Stone Hill); Kate Maley (volleyball, Loyola); and Sadie Schultz (field hockey, Brown).
When Kate Maley first picked up a volleyball she never thought it would spike a passion that would take her to sport’s highest level.
“I first started playing volleyball in middle school on a local team, then one year on our middle school team,” says Maley. “I loved the environment of the sport and how much fun it was to be on the court. I had a great coach who taught me a lot from the very start and that made a big difference.”
Another big difference came when she arrived at Skyline High School.
“My experience at Skyline is what made me love the game and decide I wanted to devote all four years of high school then college to the sport,” she says. “The highlight of the program was making it to the Division 1 state finals my sophomore year. Although we fell short to Marian, we had the best tournament run any of us could have asked for. Between the long bus rides with the team and countless practices in the postseason, we really came together as one and fought until the very end.”
Early in her Skyline career, Maley got to play with two highly recruited and talented players in the Murray sisters – Kendall and Harper. Kendall now is a standout player at the University of Michigan while Harper was Big Ten Freshman of the Year this past season at Nebraska.
“Harper was the best teammate I could have asked for during our three shared years at Skyline,” Maley said. “She taught me so much about the game and always held me and my teammates accountable. The most important thing she taught me was that the game of volleyball, especially defense, is a mindset and what matters most is how hard you work.”
Maley says that the environment and community Skyline volleyball has built over the years is unique and one which you rarely see. “The program is filled with coaches and players who put in there all and show how much they love the sport,” she says. “We fill our season up with activities outside of volleyball such as team bondings, Michigan volleyball games, team dinners, and so much more. We then get to know each other on a much deeper level and it really shows on the court.”
The Eagles lost some key players before Maley’s senior year but still worked hard and found success on and off the court. “My senior year looked a little different than most, especially after losing some key players the year before,” Maley said. “As a captain, I had to step up much more than previous years and push the team to our greatest potential each practice and game. It taught me a lot off the court, mainly leadership and life skills.”
Maley also found success playing at the club level. She played club volleyball for four years at Legacy Volleyball Club. “I just finished my last year on the 18-1’s team,” she says. “We’ve had success at a lot of our tournaments, but the highlight was placing top 10 in nationals last year, the most competitive tournament of the year.”
And as for that special group of students/athletes/friends she met in kindergarten?
“The group of athletes we have is truly unique,” she says. “We all met and became friends at a young age and have been super close ever since. We all push each other to be the best we can, anywhere from working out with each other at high levels or helping each other with schoolwork. I am so thankful to be surrounded by such driven and amazing people these past few years.”
Kate, 18, is the daughter of Becky and Eric Maley. She has a 3.8 GPA and also plays lacrosse.
Maley will take her volleyball passion and great skills west to Chicago where she will play at Loyola. Picking Loyola was an easy decision for the Skyline senior.
“The minute I stepped on campus for my visit, I knew Loyola was the perfect school and volleyball program for me,” she says. “Loyola is located in an amazing location, 10 minutes north of Chicago right on Lake Michigan. This was very appealing to me as I love Chicago and the water. The coaching staff welcomed me with open arms from the very beginning and it felt like home from the very start.
“My main priority throughout the recruiting process was finding a school that had a good balance between academics and athletics and Loyola was the perfect fit for this. Right now I am planning on studying business, although I am unsure what area.”
