Zephyrus: How have your family and friends supported you through your volleyball journey?

Kat Warpinski: My parents have always been my biggest supporters and have told me [that] I can do anything I set my mind to. They have pushed me to be a great athlete and a better teammate. My friends come to a lot of the high school games and ask me how my seasons are going, and are very invested in my career!

Z: How long have you known you’ve wanted to play D1 volleyball?

KW: I knew that I wanted to play college volleyball at the highest level possible, but I never thought I would be able to go Division I. 

Z: How has Edina Volleyball set you up to play college volleyball?

KW: Edina Volleyball has made me a great leader and taught me how to handle adversity. The coaching staff and all of my teammates have believed in me since day one, which gave me confidence to achieve my college volleyball dreams. That program is truly something special. 

Z: What’s advice you have for someone who wants to play a sport in college?

KW: My advice is to be a good teammate, have a great attitude, and give maximum effort. Those things are what got me to where I am and made me improve at a faster rate. 

Z: What has helped you get to this point in your volleyball career?

KW: The biggest thing that got me here is when I made the worst team for club season when I was 15. It was a setback where I lost all my confidence, but was a huge motivator for me to improve and prove people wrong. No matter how bad it got, my coaches and parents continually believed in my skill set and wanted to make me better, which also pushed me forward. 

Z: What’s something you’re looking forward to in college volleyball?

KW: I’m looking forward to continuing to play the game at a high level. A lot of people don’t get the chance to play beyond high school, so I am very grateful for that. 

Z: What made you want to go to Loyola?

KW: Loyola has always been a school that I wanted to go to even if I couldn’t play volleyball. When I met with the coaching staff and the team I just knew that I wanted to be apart of their program because it felt like family.