Kara Vyletel is a freshman on the volleyball team from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Kara currently starts as an outside hitter for the Chargers, and she has 207 kills and 24 aces so far this season. Kara plans to major in biochemistry.
How do you like your teammates? What’s the dynamic like?
They’re by far my closest friends and I feel like with all the freshmen, we are all really close and we study together. The upperclassmen are always willing to help us and are really encouraging, on the court too. There are some times obviously where you’re gonna get on each other’s back but it’s the fact that we’re comfortable with each other and can do that and still be good friends outside the court and on the court. It’s great having such a close group of friends. Originally, I had never seen myself going to a small school. When I first visited, I said, “There’s no way I’m going here,” but it was honestly the team and just the people here that got me here. I know everyone says that, but it’s so true.
Is practice here a lot more intense here than in high school?
Definitely. In high school it wasn’t very intense, and then I also had club and my last year wasn’t the best year of club that I could have had. Practices are more intense but I feel that they’re way more beneficial and I’m learning so much more than I did in multiple years of school and club. Just in these couple of months that I’ve been here I feel like I’ve progressed so much and I come to practice every day excited. It’s intense but our coach makes it fun.
How did you get into volleyball?
It was my sister, because originally, I played soccer. I was a tiny, tiny child, and my mom said, “You’re too small,” but I said, “I really like it,” I didn’t like volleyball that much at first but my sister would force me to pepper with her in the backyard. I’d say I don’t really want to, and she’d say, “Kara, come on,” because she wanted to get better. And then I started to like it and she taught me a lot. I only started volleyball in highschool, as a freshman. I started really late compared to most people, who start in 6th grade or 5th grade even. She gave me that extra boost though, because she taught me so much in our backyard and then I started playing in school and club. I got really involved with it.
What do you love the most about volleyball?
I love the fact that it keeps me in shape, and the team aspect, because you have to get along with the people you play with and you’re always close with each other because you have to be. You have to have that dynamic on the court and it’s always so intense. There’s never a dull moment. There’s always a play that’s happening, if someone gets a great dig then we yell, we’re always cheering for each other at the end of a point, always come in and lift each other up.
Are there moments for you that are really frustrating? How do you work through those?
My defense is something I’ve really been working on, and my coach has been helping me out with it. There have been so many times when I get close, I get a touch on it, but it’s not good and those are really frustrating for me because I feel like I’m so close to it, I should have been able to get it up and we should have been able to keep playing. I think I get frustrated but motivated at the same time, so the frustration just motivates me to get the next ball. When I do, then it’s great and you get all pumped again.
Is the team helpful for dispelling frustration?
There are times when it gets really intense and I like the fact that we can trust each other. So if someone is not doing well, you don’t feel the need to comfort them and you’re not worried about them, but you know you can say, “Come on, you got this,” and they’ll respond to that—they got you and they’ll get the next one. You can rely on your team: they believe in you and they know you’re not weak and that you can get it. They’re tough on you but it’s great, it makes you feel better about yourself. They don’t think that I need this baby talk, they know that I can get it.
How are your classes going?
They’re good. I’m enjoying Chemistry and Calculus, and I’m going into biochemistry as of now so that makes sense. I have Understanding Music and Western Heritage as my other two classes, and they’re a lot more challenging than I expected, but I’m getting through them. It could be a little better though.
How is it balancing classes and practice?
It’s definitely a lot different from high school. I would go home after school and be able to get my homework done because I only had an hour or two of homework a day usually, and then I would go to practice and come home and have a relaxing night. Here it’s the complete opposite: I go straight to class, straight to the gym to work out and then to practice. It’s a lot more intense, but I like it and I’m able to get my stuff done. I just have to manage my time a lot better, but I love it and I definitely think it’s worth it. I like the break. Classes all day and then I can just relax and focus on volleyball and let out any frustrations and get with a group of girls. I love everyone on the team. They’re amazing.
