Van Dyke Signs Pro Contract to Play Volleyball in France
8/7/2013 9:51:00 AM | Volleyball
STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern volleyball 2013 graduate Kate Van Dyke will continue her career after signing with Laon Volleyball Club in Laon, France.
The all-time leader in assists at Georgia Southern will head over to Europe at the end of the summer.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," said Van Dyke, a four-year starting setter for the Eagles. "I'm just taking it one step at a time. I'm not sure how long I'll continue to play, but I still have a love for the game."
Van Dyke is the only player in Southern Conference history to earn first-team all-league honors all four years and was named the league's Player of the Year in 2012. She is the first Eagle to be named Player of the Year since Martina Veiglova in 2003.
Van Dyke ranked 26th in the country in assists per set in 2012, averaging 11.24. She finished her career with a school record 5,348 assists to go along with 1,240 digs, 464 kills, 208 blocks and 106 service aces. She earned tourney MVP honors after leading the Eagles to the 2010 SoCon Tournament title and subsequent NCAA Tournament appearance and helped Georgia Southern win the SoCon South Division regular-season title in 2012. Van Dyke was also a three-time SoCon All-Academic selection and four-year member of the league's academic honor roll.
She does expect the volleyball in Laon to be a little different than the American style. The Eagles played Slovenia in an exhibition last fall, and despite not playing in the match, Van Dyke got to see European volleyball up close.
"The tempo is a little slower so that will be different," she said. "I'm really looking forward to the opportunity."
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics and twitter.com/GSAthletics, and its new "Eagles GATA" mobile app for Android and iOS.
