Ironically, Barbour almost never became an Eagle.
"From early on in the recruiting process I always had my eye on Morehead. I loved Jaime (Gordon) and began our correspondence after participating in a couple camps with him," says Barbour. "It always seemed like a good fit but little did I know the odds were against me. Jaime regretfully informed me that he was interested, but didn't have a spot for me seeing that the 2005 setting position was already locked up."
Despite not having a spot for Barbour, Gordon dropped her name to many of his colleagues in the volleyball coaching ranks. At a volleyball camp, Barbour's mother overheard Gordon talking to another coach about her.
"I wrote him that night, thanking him for building me up and keeping his word. At this point, I am convinced God intervened and worked through Jaime to get me where he wanted me, at Morehead," says Barbour. "Jaime responded by telling me that he had been talking me up with all these other coaches and he finally realized that all these great things he was selling to other coaches, he himself wanted."
Right out of the gate Barbour was faced with challenges. With the departure of another setter, she was left as the only player to fill that critical role.
"My talent was very raw and rough around the edges," says Barbour. "I knew there were moments of doubt and frustration within Coach, but he continued to train me like there was no tomorrow. I can honestly say I bought into his system and his philosophy with all of my heart and trusted he knew where he was taking me."
"Katelyn is a pretty unique individual to coach in that she is the kind of player you want." says Gordon. "There are a lot of coaches who can go their whole career and not have a player like that. She's hard working, humble, and really focused on the team concept. She takes a lot of pride in what she's doing."
Just as Barbour was starting to buy into the system and blossom as a setter her career was interrupted by a severe knee injury. Midway through her freshman season she suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament that put her out of action for the rest of the season. Her absence was felt by the rest of the team as well. Without their setter, the Eagles went 6-26 in 2005. Despite the injury she posted 739 assists in her rookie season.
"It turned my world upside down. It's amazing how God has worked through adversity in my life and my career," says Barbour. "
"The injury that she had may have done more for her career than being healthy all the way through," says Gordon. "You never want someone to go through that but in hindsight I think it really allowed for her to appreciate what she had. It also allowed us to get really down to the basics."
Barbour returned for her sophomore season and quickly picked up where she left off. In 2006 she posted 1,652 assists. She followed that performance with a 1,535 assist junior season. In her final season at MSU, she only posted 752 assists, but played a dual role as a setter and as a hitter. She finished her MSU career with 4,678 career assists.
"The role that she played her senior year is a perfect reflection of what she did off the court," says Gordon. "There are so many facets to her and a whole bunch of different layers she brings to the team. To have her as an attacker and setter is really a reflection of what she means to the team."
With her playing career over, Barbour likes to reflect back on her career as and Eagle.
"Morehead volleyball is my family," says Barbour. "It's fun to think about how different each girl is. The different backgrounds we all come from, the different teams we played for, the different gifts and talents each brings to the table.
"So many differences but we all are one and love each other. I would be willing to bet, that our gym, on any given day, is more fun to be in than any other gym in the nation. The effort, the love of the game, the love of each other, and the commitment to excellence is always there. That is unique to any team I've ever been a part of and has made my career at MSU such a blessing."
She credits much of her success and her ability to overcome adversity to the support of her family, friends, and coaches. It was not uncommon to see two generations of the Barbour family filling up a row or two at Wetherby Gym.
"I credit the success in my career to the people God has surrounded me with," says Barbour. "My team has given me incredible opportunities to constantly grow and excel. I cherish my team and our success as a team.
"The memories I have made, the lessons I have learned, and the relationships I have developed will last a lifetime. Awards, records, numbers, and stats fade in time. I have always known this and been taught this, but it's been neat to finally be able to embrace this truth in my own life. Experience is everything, and I have been abundantly blessed in that."
-Story by Jason Ashcraft, Athletic Media Relations Assistant
