The Spartans had to shut down their season twice in 2020 due to COVID-19 outbreaks. "We talked a lot about [COVID] because the majority of our team had it," Batenhorst said. "We overcame it. Like I said, we are resilient and we bounce back. We kept our spirits up and believed we could still do it." Batenhorst said that right now, she's just excited to get on the bus and go get Chick-Fil-A.
Batenhorst's younger sister, Casey, also plays for the team. A now junior watched both of her older sisters play at the Curtis Culwell Center on a few occasions. She said this helped spark and further her passion for volleyball. "We knew we wanted [a championship] so bad," said Casey Batenhorst. "It's all we've talked about for an entire year."
Spartan volleyball head coach, Amy Cataline had only great things to say about her team in the press conference. "I could not be more proud of this team," Cataline said. "[The atmosphere was] electric. The fans were great." As far as the surreal moment of winning the state title as the first Katy ISD team to take away a championship? "It's an honor," Cataline says. "We talked about it. We wanted it. The reality hasn't sunk in yet."
Coach Cataline spoke on Ally Batenhorst's leadership in the press conference as well: "She loves her teammates and she shows it. She gave her whole heart this season and her team followed. She's a team player to the core and you just don't find that with an elite player these days, so it's been an honor to be by her side."
Dana Strange (VYPE)
The featured standouts of the 2026–27 Alief Taylor Lions volleyball team.Dana Strange (VYPE)
