Building Champions

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  Mary Batis

Mary Batis

Player Profile

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
San Antonio, Texas
High School:
Clark
Height:
6-0
Position:
OH
Experience:
3L
Club Team:
Alamo Volleyball

Career Stats

A complete and naturally gifted all-around volleyball player...Is a must-have on the court, has started every match of her career and is quickly moving up the record books for kills, digs and points...Her ability to execute in all areas of the game makes a significant difference in the outcome of a match...Is a great pass-to-attack and dig-to-attack outside hitter who can contact the ball with tremendous power from anywhere on the court...Has a quick arm swing and is exceptionally crafty and varied with her shots at any tempo...Considered one of the best left-side blockers to come through the A&M program...Has an exceptional understanding of the skill, gets great position and has excellent timing and an explosive jump...Her aggressive serve keeps opponents guessing as she alternates between a viciously deceptive float serve and a powerful top-spin jump serve...Possesses an obvious love and enthusiasm for the game, is determined to have the best season of her career and take the team deep into the postseason.

Batis' Honors

2008
Texas A&M Best Defensive Player
Texas A&M Invitational MVP
Blue Jay Invitational All-Tournament Team
Honorable Mention All-Big 12 Team
Academic All-Big 12 Second Team
Preseason All-Big 12 Team

2007
Texas A&M Co-MVP
Texas A&M Best Defensive Player
UTSA Classic MVP
Texas A&M Invitational MVP
Academic All-Big 12 Volleyball Second Team

2006
CSU Hilton Classic All-Tournament Team
SLU Billiken Invitational All-Tournament Team
Texas A&M Invitational All-Tournament Team

At Texas A&M

2008 - Junior
Continued her streak of starting every match in her career and was named the team's Best Defensive Player for the second consecutive year...Became the ninth player in A&M history to surpass both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career...Also posted her 1,000th career point, joining two-time AVCA All-Americans Laura Jones and Melissa Munsch as the only three players in school history to reach the 1,000 milestone in kills, digs and points since rally scoring began in 2001...Played 110 of 113 sets and led the team in digs for the third consecutive year with 315...Also led the team in digs per set (2.81), kills (379), kills per set (3.38) and points per set (3.81) and ranked second on the squad with 22 aces...A primary passer, made 606 receptions at a team-leading .970 success rate...Tied for the team lead with 11 double-doubles...Led the team in kills in a team-high 16 matches and also led in digs in eight matches and points in 13 matches, more than any other player...Posted a career-high 23 kills in A&M's five-set victory against Missouri, including a dominating seven kills in the fifth set alone...Named MVP at the Texas A&M Invitational after leading the Aggies to the championship title following a 14-kill, season-high .522 hitting performance in a four-set victory against 16th-ranked BYU...Also earned all-tournament honors at the Blue Jay Invitational...Garnered Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honors and received All-Big 12 honorable mention.

2007 - Sophomore
Started every match for the second consecutive year...Played in all but one game and was voted the team's co-MVP along with setter Kristen Schevikhoven and also earned team Best Defensive Player honors...Led A&M with 3.57 digs per game and ranked second with 3.56 kills, 4.15 points and 0.31 aces per game for the full season...Ranked eighth in the Big 12 in aces per game and ninth in kills per game...Posted a team-leading 17 double-double performances, including nine of the final 12 matches of the season...Tallied 21 kills three times, tying her career high...Her 440.0 points for the season ranked ninth in the A&M records and moved her into fifth in the A&M career records with 847.0 points...Was named MVP at both the Texas A&M Invitational and the UTSA Classic...Also named to the Academic All-Big 12 Volleyball Second Team.

2006 - Freshman
Gained invaluable training and experience at the collegiate level after graduating early from high school and participating in A&M's spring drills...Immediately demonstrated the all-encompassing skills and mind-set of a seasoned, successful athlete and joined senior middle blocker Christi Hahn as the only two Aggies to start every match and play in all 105 games during the fall...Led the Aggies and ranked 10th in the Big 12 with 3.52 kills per game and ranked second on the team with 3.88 points and 3.12 digs per game for the full season...Averaged 3.29 kills, 3.22 digs and 3.54 points per game in Big 12 games only...Led or tied for the team lead in kills in a team-high 14 matches and in digs in a team-best nine...Reached double figures in kills in a team-leading 20 matches and in digs in a team-best 18 matches...Also led the team with 15 double-doubles...Recorded 20 or more kills three times, including a career-high 21 in A&M's 3-1 victory against No. 22 Minnesota...Posted 20 or more digs in two matches, including a career-high 21 digs in a 3-1 victory at Baylor...Named to the all-tournament team in all three tournaments A&M participated in during the season.

Previous Athletic Experience

A three-time PrepVolleyball.com high school All-American and a two-time Mizuno/Volleyball All-American during her heralded four-year career under coach Kirby Jameson at Clark High School... Was the first three-time member of LoneStarVolleyball.com's All-Texas Team, and was a three-time selection to the Texas Girls Coaches Association all-state team and the San Antonio Express-News Volleyball Super Team...As a senior, was named to Volleyball's "Fab 50," a list of the nation's top 50 high school recruits, as well as PrepVolleyball.com's Senior Aces list of top recruits...Was named the Volleyball Super Team Player of the Year and the Class 5A MVP by the San Antonio Express-News after hitting .385 and averaging 4.18 kills, 3.86 digs and .58 blocks per game...As a junior, was a PrepVolleyball.com national high school junior of the year finalist and was named to the all-tournament team at the Texas high school state tournament after leading the Cougars to a runner-up finish...Also was named outstanding hitter by LoneStarVolleyball.com and was on Volleyball's list of top 25 underclassmen to watch...Was PrepVolleyball.com's 2003 National Sophomore of the Year and the most valuable player at the Texas Class 5A state tournament after leading Clark to a 35-3 record and the state title, which she lists as the most memorable moment of her prep career...Was the only sophomore named to the LoneStarVolleyball.com All-Texas Team and was named the San Antonio Express-News Player of the Year...Was named to the prestigious Duncanville Tournament of Champions all-tournament team as a freshman and also was a finalist for Student Sports' National Sophomore of the Year...Played club ball for Alamo Volleyball Association along with current A&M teammate Jenny Banse...Took first place at the 2003 Junior Olympics, 15 Open Division and earned all-tournament honors...Posted a third-place finish at the 2004 JOs and fifth-place finishes at both the 2002 and 2005 JOs...Received the "Big Hammer" Award at the 2002 JOs and was rated the No. 1 performer at the 2002 USA Volleyball High Performance Camp in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Personal

Mary Elizabeth Batis is the daughter of Edward and Kathleen Batis...Is the youngest and only girl of four children...Her oldest brother, Eric, played football at Northwestern University (2001-04), joining as a walk-on and later earning a scholarship...Another brother, Mark, is Texas A&M Class of `09...Family members are big Cubs fans, and her puppy's name is Wrigley...Began playing volleyball in the third grade...Verbally committed to A&M during her sophomore year of high school, and her only official recruiting visit was to Texas A&M...Chose to sign with the Aggies because "I love the school, the tradition and especially the people. The community at Texas A&M is indescribable"...Most memorable moment of A&M career is the last six matches of 2008, "beating the hell outta anyone who stepped on the court"...Hobbies include doing anything athletic and "vegging out to the max with friends or a great book"...Has been active in numerous organizations, and at the 2008 CHAMPS Banquet, received the Texas A&M Outstanding Committee Chair award, recognizing her exceptional job of organizing Aggie Athletes Involved (AAI) events and activities...Helped put together the largest group of A&M athletes to ever volunteer for The Big Event, the largest one-day collegiate community service project in the nation...Was a Fish Camp Counselor Serves and also served on the school's Orientation Committee and led campus tours...Currently is a member of AAI and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and also staffs Aggie Awakening retreats at St. Mary's Catholic Church...Is a three-time Texas A&M/Verizon Scholar Athlete majoring in sport management with a business and religious studies minor, as well as an international and cultural diversity cognate...Is scheduled to graduate in May 2010...Career ambition is to go into ministry, spreading John Paul II's Catechesis on Theology of the Body...Born March 25, 1988, in San Antonio, Texas.

Batis Up Close

The person who has had the greatest impact on my athletic career: Our strength coach, Raychelle Ellsworth

One word to describe this year's team: Passionate

The accomplishment (athletic or non-athletic) that I am most proud of: Two-time National Strength and Conditioning All-American

Teammate who watches the most game film: Sarah

The person on the team who can always make me laugh: Schev

Teammate who would be the best candidate for America's Got Talent (name and talent): hahaha, umm... Sarah, only if she played the iPod game!

The person who I would want to play me in a movie about my life is: Sandra Bullock, she's got a dorky laugh like me, and I kinda laugh a lot

Few people know that: it would take me half a second to jump in a moon bounce at the age of 21...I'm still a little kid :)

After I graduate, I plan to: play professional ball overseas (Slovenia is on the mind)

My dream job is: hosting a TV show
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