Kayla Hampton - Lead On

Feature by Larry Scott


When Kayla Hampton arrived at Concordia College as freshmen, she quickly learned adapting to volleyball on the collegiate level would take a heavy dose of persistence and patience. Understanding the real value of leadership, well that was the easy part.

Hampton chose Concordia after a rewarding prep career at Benson High School in West Central Minnesota. "I played volleyball, basketball and did track. I went to state in track both my junior and senior year in the relays," said Hampton.

When she began searching for her next stop there were several suitors. "I played on a club volleyball team in Marshall, so (Southwest Minnesota State) was an option. I looked at Ridgewater (College) and talked to the Hamline coach. It came down to focusing on athletics and academics, and I thought Concordia was the best choice for that."

Hampton brought a great deal of energy and anticipation to her first season with the Cobbers, but the learning curve became a daunting challenge. "My first year I played right side," said Hampton. "I wasn't a huge threat; it was definitely a learning year."  

Fortunately for Hampton there were teammates to lean on. "I had some great leaders that year including Jenna Green, Katie Vohnoutka, Ashley Beseman and Amy Sykora," said Hampton. "They were really good at teaching us the game and having us prepared."

Adapting to the college game was a big adjustment. "It's so much faster than high school, and it's not for everyone. It's also much more competitive, and I'm a very competitive person so it was fun coming to college sports."

Hampton spent much of her second year filling a backup role.  "I didn't play much my sophomore year. That was hard because I felt like I took a step back, but it still was a great learning experience. I learned the benefit of helping build the team and those were good lessons. When I look back it was a good year and made me want to work harder so I kicked it in gear because I wanted to be back out on the court, making a difference."

"Last year I started as middle (hitter) and this year, too, so all the hard work paid off." Hampton appeared in 76 games as a junior and supplied 1.54 kills per game.

Outside hitter Angie Waller and Hampton are the only two seniors on the 2013 Cobber edition, and Hampton realizes she needs to fill a vital leadership role. She is more than ready, in her own way.

"I like to take a softer approach. I'm not an in-your-face type of person. I like to pull them (teammates) aside and help them out that way. Half of our team this year are freshmen and I felt like it was my responsibility to help them prepare for game because we need them. They have to be ready to play and they've come though. It's a good group of girls."

Mandy Marcil, one of the seven freshmen on the 2013 roster, appreciates Hampton's presence. "Kayla is really good at helping out for us, and we know whenever we have a question we can always ask Kayla. It's really been fun to see her competitiveness, too, and we know we can trust her."

Hampton has great respect for Cobber head coach Tim Moser and assistant Bob Jones.

"Tim is a great coach and definitely knows his stuff, all the skills in volleyball," Hampton said. "Both Tim and Bob not only care about us as a ream, but they care about us as individuals and help us in any way they can."

Hampton and Moser both have some lofty team goals for 2013.

"We can do a lot of great things this year," Hampton said. "We have the talent, and when we have our mental game in check we can be unbeaten. We want to be MIAC champs, but it will be tough because St. Thomas won the national title last year. We definitely want to make it to the NCAA tournament, that's our goal every year."

Mosier agrees. "Our league is the top NCAA III conference in the country, and our goal is to be in the top three. We've gone on the NCAA Regionals eight of the last 10 years and that's one of our goals every year. We're a young team but we have the potential."

Moser is certainly grateful for Hampton's contributions.

"Kayla brings three great things to our team. She brings a sense of calmness, and she does a good job of recognizing the situation. Second, she's very competitive and leads by example, and we need that. Third, Kayla exudes a lot of confidence. It's not cockiness but it's a great balance, and she believes in her training. We talk about being at our best, and while we can't always control the winning or losing we can control our attitude and our effort."

"Angie and Kayla complement each other very well, and I'm very happy with our leadership. Kayla has also really stepped up her play and leadership in the absence of Olivia (Wangensteen), the Cobbers' injured outside hitter," said Moser.

Concordia, 14-7 overall and 5-0 in the MIAC, travels to defending national champion St. Thomas on Wednesday in a key conference match-up.

Unlike some Cobber student-athletes, Hampton doesn't have any family members with strong Concordia ties. "I really liked the environment as soon as I walked on campus; it just felt right. I like the smaller college and I just felt at home. Maybe, it was the maroon and gold, just like at Benson."

An Exercise Science major, Hampton will graduate after fall semester and plans to attend graduate school next year, pursuing an advanced degree in Occupational Therapy and a possible career in pediatrics.