She’s in the Middle of Title Wave

Katie Olsovsky played for the U.S. junior national team last summer and helped the Americans take sixth place at the World Junior Championships in Portugal.

“It was a great experience--everything from the coaching [to] playing other countries,” said Olsovsky, a senior at Torrance Bishop Montgomery. “You really get to see what kind of talent is out there.”

Few at her level in the nation are as talented as Olsovsky, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker who will play at USC next year.

But before she leaves for college and a possible shot at a future Olympic team, Olsovsky intends to lead Bishop Montgomery to its third state Division III championship in four years.

Olsovsky was a freshman contributor on the 1996 championship team and was a standout last season when Bishop Montgomery defeated Forestville El Molino for the state title. She is one of several outstanding players for the Knights, who have been ranked No. 1 in the Southern Section’s III-AA division since the start of this season.

“Her height alone puts her above most players, but she also jumps well and reads the hitters very, very well,” Bishop Montgomery Coach Kim Willeman said. “She has just gradually been getting better and better.”

Olsovsky started playing volleyball in the fifth grade and joined a club team a year later.

“My first couple of years were kind of a struggle,” she said. “I was never one of the real good players. I was always a sub.

“But I kept with it. If you’re having fun with something, it doesn’t really matter. You stick with it.”

Olsovsky grew to 6-1 by the time she was a freshman and had a solid foundation of skills from her club participation.

Her size made her an immediate impact player for the Knights and she has developed into an almost unstoppable force in the ensuing three seasons.

Last month, Olsovsky had a career-high 34 kills and six blocks in a five-game victory over second-ranked North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake.

Last week, she led Bishop Montgomery to a fifth-place finish in the prestigious Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara. The Knights defeated perennial Division I-AA power Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the fifth-place match.

The Southern Section playoffs begin next week and Bishop Montgomery is favored to repeat as the Division III-AA champion. If the Knights finish first or second, they will earn the opportunity to defend their state title.

“It’s my senior year, so I just want to go out and have fun and do as much as we can,” Olsovsky said. “We have the talent and we’re capable of winning it again. We just have to play hard every game.”