Promising Saint Xavier freshman Kaleigh Ritter shows her only competition is herself
TINLEY PARK, Ill. (BVM) — Kaleigh Ritter is a current freshman at Saint Xavier University who is notorious for being able to do it all on the volleyball court. She comes from Lincoln-Way East High School, and she started off as a libero. Currently, Ritter plays as a setter for her university.
During her senior year, Ritter started to play as a libero instead of setter like she usually did. She believed that due to her height, she would be a greater asset to the team by playing as libero. Her dedication to the team and true athleticism for the sport shows on the court.
It’s clear that love for volleyball runs within the Ritter family. Ritter comes from a family of impressive volleyball players as two of her cousins played at the same high school as her and helped their teams gain state titles.
Her mother is Maureen O’Keefe Ritter. She was a defensive specialist and helped lead Mother McAuley to the 1994 Class AA state championship. Rather than sinking to the pressure of performing well like her family, Kaleigh has created a name for herself.
In high school, Ritter was let onto the varsity volleyball team to fill in for another player with an injury. She was only meant to play with the team for a week. When Ritter set a school record for service aces in a match and season, the coaches couldn’t let her go. She made a great case for herself and earned a position on the varsity team. Her coaches and teammates were impressed with her professionalism on the court.
Throughout high school, Ritter continued to stun everyone with her performance by breaking countless records for her high school. In 2017, she was a member of the IHSA regional champions.
Aside from sports, Ritter was also a member of the national honor society and math honor society. She was also on the honor roll all throughout high school, proving that she knows how to perform well on the court and in the classroom.
Ritter is currently a freshman at Saint Xavier University where she majors in secondary education and math. Ritter is back to playing as a setter for the team, and she continues to break records for the Cougars.
Saint Xavier is having a great season and has had consecutive wins in its last few games. During a notable performance against Judson University, Ritter collected a career best 42 assists and 14 digs during the four-set match. In her latest game against Olivet Nazarene, Ritter collected her new career-bests with 50 assists and 27 digs. Her plays helped lead the team towards its win during the intense five-set match.
Ritter started off the season averaging around 40 assists per game. She has already impressed coaches, athletes and viewers, and is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon. It is clear that Ritter has a bright future in volleyball. Ritter continues to play better each game and show off all that she has to offer to the world of volleyball. Saint Xavier will be travelling to Indiana for their next game on Sept. 25 against Bethel University.
