Different Outlook On Athletics Don’t Forget: Katie Lee Is Not Her Older Sister

Katie Lee found a bed she liked while flipping through a furniture catalog.

So she built it.

Not from detailed instructions. Not after taking a woodworking class.

Lee called upon her artistic abilities and her determination to transform a piece of paper into a centerpiece for her room.

“It hasn’t fallen apart yet, so I guess that’s a good sign,” Lee said.

“She’s just a kind of kid who’s multitalented,” Ferris volleyball coach Stacey Ward said of Lee. “Sometimes we have athletes who are so focused on their sport that they don’t develop their outside interests.”

Lee, a senior, never pretended to be anything but what she is, a good volleyball player whose “career” will end after top-ranked Ferris plays at this weekend’s State 4A volleyball tournament.

Of course, there’s the matter of her surname. Older sister Jaimie, a senior at Notre Dame with Olympics potential, may be the best volleyball player to come out of the Greater Spokane League.

Katie didn’t figure to be Jaimie Part II. At 5-foot-7, she’s a good 4 inches smaller than her sister. There’s even a bigger gap between them when it comes to attitude toward the sport.

“Volleyball was her life,” Katie said of Jaimie. “I never had the desire to pursue it like she did.”

Funny thing is, Katie may play on a more successful high school team than Jaimie did. Jaimie’s 1993 Saxons placed third at the State AAA tournament. The ‘97 Saxons have lost one match all year and are favored to win their first state title this weekend at the Arena.

Katie called Big Sis last weekend, around midnight South Bend, Ind., time, to report the news of Ferris’ regional championship.

“We talk on the phone a couple of times a week,” Katie said. “I send her ‘care packages’ once in a while.”

Katie didn’t make the varsity team until last year. She never started until this season, and to this day says she half-expects junior Casey Carlson to take her place at right-side hitter.

Fellow seniors Missy Blackshire, Janelle Morrisette and Amy George are the team’s all-league players. Junior starters Elissa Ross and Julie Weatherred are Ferris’ solid foundation for the future.

Lee fills a different role, one anchored by humility.

Ward said Lee never balks at honest self-evaluation, admitting when she’s not up to par and should give way to a substitute.

The year has been a challenge for Lee, with the flu, knee problems, pulled muscles and the residual effects of mononucleosis sapping her. She finally felt healthy two weeks ago, at the district tournament.

Lee’s academics have been the picture of health. She has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average through six semesters, and is one of 8 to 10 seniors, she estimates, in line to be valedictorian.

Morrisette also carries a 4.0. While Morrisette aims to play volleyball at a Division I school, Lee plans to live the normal life of a college student, probably at Washington State.

Once the volleyball season ends, Lee hopes to land her first real job. Gymnastics, a fun diversion her sophomore year, no longer draws her.

Younger brother Brian, a sophomore, plays quarterback for the school’s football team. He’s the final Lee in line.

“Our parents wanted us to do athletics to keep in shape, but they never pushed us,” Katie said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: STATE 4A VOLLEYBALL Today and Saturday at the Arena: Defending champion: Bethel; the Greater Spokane League won the four previous titles. Returning teams: Eight Returning placers: 1, Bethel; 2, Prairie; 3, Mead; 4, Auburn; 5, Sehome; 6, Ferris. Gig Harbor placed fourth in last year’s Class AA. Area teams: Ferris, Lewis and Clark, Mead Toughest pools: Pools B (Ferris’) and C (Mead’s) both have three teams ranked in the top 10. Tested: LC has won 26 of its last 28 games at state, the two losses coming in the 1995 final against North Central. Times: Today’s sessions - 9:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 6:30. Saturday - quarterfinals, 10 a.m.; semifinals, 11:30; 5-8 places, 4:30 p.m.; 3-4 places, 6; championship, 9.