Masson a volleyball hit at Stonehill

By Ed Collins, Standard-Times Staff Writer

Katherine Masson declared herself a biology major last week at Stonehill College, where her skills on the volleyball court have been anything but microscopic.

A sophomore outside hitter from Acushnet, Masson has been a force at the net for the Skyhawks (4-13 overall, 2-5 Northeast-10 Conference). Masson has a team-high 212 kills and has showed some versatility with 147 digs and 18 aces.

"I'm having a lot of fun this season. I have great teammates and we're very unified on and off the court," said Masson, who played for coach Neil Macedo at New Bedford. "We have a young team that's still developing, but we have a lot of potential. Right now, we're taking things one match at a time and we're trying to make progress every time we take the court."

A highly recruited player coming out of high school, Masson made Stonehill coach Brad Alexander a happy man when she chose the Skyhawks over three schools that made good runs at her - Bentley College, UMass Lowell, and Endicott College.

"A lot of schools were looking at Kat and we were lucky to get her, because she's been right up there with the top hitters in the conference the last two seasons," said Alexander. "She has a great vertical jump and an arm swing like a whip. She generates a lot of power, she hits the ball hard, and she knows where to place it."

Masson, who notched a career-high 26 kills in a 3-2 loss to league-rival Merrimack College earlier this season, said playing college volleyball has been a real challenge after being a star in high school.

"There's a lot more competition in college and you go up against a lot of great players. The game is played at a much faster pace and we play a tough schedule," said Masson. "When I left New Bedford, I was one of the top hitters in the state. I wasn't a very good defensive player though, and that's something I've really been working on."

Alexander said that Masson's improved defensive skills have helped make her an even better player.

"Kat has been an outstanding outside hitter for us and she's worked hard to become one of our best diggers," said Alexander. "She's our go-to player on offense and now she's helping us on defense. She sees the court well and she's been a real team leader."

Most importantly, Alexander said Masson is the kind of player every coach wants to work with.

"Kat is a well-rounded package when it comes to academics and athletics," said Alexander. "She's an excellent student and a dedicated athlete who's a real team player. We're all very happy to have her on our side of the net."