LSU outside hitter Cati Leak has grown into a consistent two-way player for the Tigers in her three seasons in Baton Rouge.
Leak ranks third or higher on the team in points, kills, assists, service aces, digs and blocks this year, and her first two years weren’t much different.
In her freshman season, Leak was in the top five in the same categories. Last season, she was in the top four in every category except blocks, where she ranked fifth.
Increasing her team ranking in most categories every year and now one of the top-two attackers on the team alongside sophomore middle blocker Briana Holman, Leak has made a change in her attitude on the court.
Senior outside hitter and Leak’s roommate Helen Boyle said the biggest difference in Leak’s play has been the pressure she puts on herself.
“She has grown up a lot from her freshman year to now,” Boyle said. “She’s become more mature. She leads. She gets over things a lot quicker.”
Leak led Guntersville High School to three straight 4A Alabama state championships, winning the State Tournament MVP all three seasons. She was named to the All-District and All-State teams in all four years of high school.
Adjusting to college was difficult for Leak at first because the atmosphere she played in during her high school career forced her to try be better than she could be, said LSU coach Fran Flory.
Leak said she recognized that thanks to the seniors during her freshman year, especially Meghan Mannari, Sam Delahoussaye and Madie Jones.
“They gave us a comfort level where we could be ourselves and allowed us make mistakes but at the same time see what they did,” Leak said. “[They] really helped us learn to manage the game better and [gave us] someone to look up to and hope to be like.”
One more adjustment Leak had to make during her transition to life at LSU was leaving behind her Alabama roots, including cheering for the Crimson Tide.
Both of her parents are Alabama fans, which set her down the same path. But once Leak chose LSU, she left her Crimson Tide fandom behind, even during a difficult time to be between the two schools.
During the 2011 football season, Leak was a senior at Guntersville and had to make a decision.
“At first I was like, ‘I’ve always been an Alabama fan. How am I going to feel?’” Leak said. “But there was not one second I was pulling for Bama. It was always LSU, and it was always where I was meant to be.”
Leak said she chose the Tigers for two reasons — the coaches and the pride LSU fans have for every sport — and her love hasn’t faltered for one second.
Now, as her third season in purple and gold nears its end, Leak is stepping into her own role as a leader. The Tigers have seven freshmen, six of whom are from out of state.
Leak was once a freshman who saw significant playing time and has made the adjustment to life in Baton Rouge after pulling for another team. She said she’s ready to become what those seniors were to her during her freshman season.
Boyle said she’s excited to see Leak take over one of the leading roles, but Flory said she’s happiest to have her scoring ability on the right side for one more season.
“The right side is a key to the game these days, and having that force over that and the ability to score is really vital,” Flory said. “That’s a huge part of the game, and we’re awfully thankful that she’s over there.”