Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
Everyone knows the transition from high school to college can be a struggle for any student. Now imagine that this college is a long way from home where you don’t know anyone and compound this with the added demands of being a student-athlete, and you have one daunting challenge.
For Katelyn Vanderhoff, or “Vandy,” as her teammates call her, this is the reality of her situation. The freshman point guard from Lititz, Pa., has met these challenges head on and has already established herself as one of the most promising prospects for the Black Bears.
During Tuesday’s heartbreaking loss to the University of Delaware, Vanderhoff showed she was not easily rattled by playing with the older girls. In the final seconds of the first half, the five-foot-nine guard got the ball near the left corner, drove the baseline, elevated between two defenders and sank a tough mid-range jumper as time expired.
In addition to her remarkable composure as a freshman, Vanderhoff has shown she has great court vision, standing second on the team after seven games with 20 assists. All of this is pretty impressive, especially for a girl whose journey to starting as a Division I point guard was highly irregular.
“I started playing in fourth grade, but I actually always wanted to play soccer,” Vanderhoff said. “And then as I got into middle school / high school, it just changed to basketball. I still played soccer, but basketball just became my passion and I wanted to play it in college.”
Her time as a multi-sport athlete in middle school and high school has allowed Vanderhoff to be the versatile player she is on the court. The freshman plays multiple guard roles for coach Cindy Blodgett.
The transition from soccer to basketball pales in comparison, however, to the fact that the high school standout from Lancaster Mennonite High almost never got a shot. When UMaine decided to offer a scholarship to the versatile player, it only took Vanderhoff one visit to make her decision.
“It was between Maine and a Division III school, and then I came up here for a visit and it just feels right, when you just know.”
Vanderhoff’s abilities and effort earned her a shot at the next level, but they didn’t come without a caveat. In addition to adjusting to her first semester of college, the freshman would have to learn a whole new position.
When having her meeting with Blodgett, it was made clear she wanted Vanderhoff to switch her role on the floor.
Vanderhoff, predominantly a shooting guard and small forward combo in high school, would have to become the court general for a Division I program.
“Well I wasn’t really expecting to play point guard at first, but once coach told me it made sense to me,” she said.
The new recruit had some experience in bringing the ball up but never played the position in high school. As a result, Vanderhoff would have to rely on her natural court vision and athletic inclination in order to succeed in her new role.
“I feel like it’s something I’m natural at,” she said. “Being able to see things and also just learning the plays and having to know that takes time to learn all of that.”
Perhaps the key to Vanderhoff’s quick transition to a successful point guard comes as a result of acknowledging that it takes time and is an intense process transitioning to a new position in a new setting. Fortunately for her, she finds it fascinating.
“It’s interesting, it’s something I like to do, and it’s interesting just to see how everything works together, and the makeup of each play,” she said.
In addition to Coach Blodgett, Vanderhoff has been welcomed by her teammates, who have helped to show her the ropes. She has become especially close with senior guard Amanda Tewksbury.
“I would say the person I’m closest to is Amanda. She’s just really shown me and helped me a lot in a lot of different areas of college life basketball. But also Katia [Bratishko] and [Kristin] Baker, they’re all still there, in different ways.”
In addition to the study of the game, however, there is time for some socialization.
“It’s a lot of fun. Our team is great. [There’s] never a dull moment on the team … something funny happens all the time.”
The normally soft-spoken Vanderhoff admitted that she occasionally gets in on the action.
“I’m kind of the quieter one, but I have my moments. They would say I’d be really shy, compared to them. We have a lot of very outspoken people on our team.”
In addition to her team family, Vanderhoff also found her biological family supportive of her committing to Maine, nearly a 10-and-a-half hour drive from home.
“Luckily, my family likes to travel a lot so they were fine with it. I have a brother who goes to Boise State, and so they were fine. They liked that I got out of the area a little bit, and it gives them an excuse to travel … up here … a lot,” she joked. “They’ve been up to, like, almost every [home game].”
The freshman is undecided on her major but seems to be adapting well to college life, both on and off the court, and perhaps most tellingly, appears to be having fun doing it.
“It’s been great so far. I feel like our team has a lot of potential, I think we’re going to have a good season, and it’s just been a great experience, being able to play Division I basketball, ‘living the dream’… so it’s been pretty cool.”
Though never the likeliest to become a rising star in Division I basketball, “Vandy” got her shot, and as she often does on the floor, she made the most of it. Fortunately for UMaine fans, they’ll get to see her keep on taking them for years to come.
Bangor Daily News