Versatile Ketter makes verbal commitment to UCLA

IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers AIMING FOR NO. 1—After finishing in second place to Thousand Oaks High for two consecutive years, Westlake's Michelle Ketter is ready to lead the Warriors to a Marmonte League championship. Last year, Westlake High head girls' volleyball coach Ernest Rittenhouse decided to move Michelle Ketter from the opposite position to outside hitter. Ever since the switch, Warrior opponents have been paying the price.

Ketter adapted quickly to her new position by leading the Marmonte League with 337 kills and 47 aces in 2007. According to Rittenhouse, Ketter's 337 kills were the most the school has seen in at least 10 years.

"I moved her to outside hitter because I felt, as a team, the front row had caught up to the back row," Rittenhouse said. "Since the rest of the team was better, I felt the time was right to move Ketter to outside, which was once her natural position.

"I was expecting the move to work and for her to have a good year, but not that good of a year. I would have been thrilled with 300 kills. She got 337," Rittenhouse said.

Michelle Ketter Now a senior, Ketter doesn't mind what position she plays as long as she's helping the team win.

"I learned to play the sport as an outside hitter, and I played the position as a freshman," Ketter said. "So the transition for me wasn't difficult. I think both positions have pros and cons, but I'll play whatever Coach wants me to play."

Ketter first began playing volleyball in the eighth grade. At the time, she was also playing soccer and tennis.

Ketter was introduced to volleyball by Dena Gallucci, a senior setter for the Warriors. Since her introduction, Ketter's loved volleyball, so much that she gave up the other sports.

"When I played soccer it was mostly on defense, so when I first started getting kills in volleyball it was awesome because I had never contributed on offense before," Ketter said. "I also fell in love with the competitiveness of the sport and the team environment you have on the floor." As a freshman, Ketter was voted the junior varsity squad's coMost Valuable Player. As a sophomore, she made the varsity team and registered 110 kills and 34 blocks. But even Ketter was surprised at the level of her play during her junior campaign.

"When I first joined the varsity team, it was tough getting used to longer matches and playing against many girls that were taller and stronger than me," Ketter said.

"Last year I had more confidence in myself, but I didn't think I would be as good as I was. When Coach Rittenhouse told me how many kills I had on the year, I couldn't believe it."

Although Ketter's play was stellar, the Warriors have finished in second place the last two years behind Thousand Oaks in the Marmonte League standings.

Ketter would like nothing more than a league title in her final season at Westlake, but she realizes she can't focus on just beating TOHS.

"We have a very tough league, so the whole entire league is on my mind," Ketter said. "Thousand Oaks is good, but we have to worry about everyone."

While Ketter will go up against the Marmonte's best this season, in a year she'll be playing at UCLA with one of the league's top players—Moorpark's Rachael Kidder.

"I made a verbal commitment to UCLA last week, and Rachael had a little bit to do with it," Ketter said.

Ketter said she and Kidder "have been friends for a very long time, and we always joked about how fun it would be to go to college together. Now it's really happening."

Kidder said she will be glad to play with Ketter in a year, rather than against her.

"It will be pretty weird playing against (Ketter) this year, because we've always been rivals, and in a year we will be teammates," Kidder said.

"I tried to convince her to come to UCLA because I know she and I would have a good time, and I knew our team would be a lot better. I was very excited when I found out she was coming to UCLA."

Although Ketter will be a Bruin by the fall of 2009, Rittenhouse is glad to have her for one more year.

"She's a great player, and what she brings to the team is kills," Rittenhouse said. "She is by no means a one-dimensional player. She can also pass, set, block and serve, but kills is what sets her apart. She has the ability to just consistently put the ball away."