As a young child, Catie Speas was forced to deal with the tragic loss of her father. 

Speas struggled with the insurmountable pain of replacing the void once held by her father’s embrace. 

As a single parent, Catie’s mother, Lauren, required a nanny. 

Speas accompanied her nanny everywhere. That included the volleyball court where her nanny coached at Perry and for Aspire Volleyball Club. 

“I was with her 24/7 and I went to all her practices, tournaments, just everything and I just fell in love watching the sport,” Speas said.

Speas began her volleyball journey when she turned 8.

She made the Gilbert varsity as a freshman and the Tigers made it to the quarterfinals of the state tournament. 

“It was such an amazing game and I’ll never forget it,” Speas said.

Now a senior, Speas plays alongside teammate Natalie Williams, who she first played with in the eighth grade.

“Catie has been my best friend since junior high,” Williams said. “To be able to play alongside her in high school is a dream come true.”

As captain of the Tigers, Speas is known for more than her lasting friendships.

 

“She is so critical to our team,” coach Joe Hesse said. “Her competitiveness and understanding for the game are unmatched.” 

Speas competitiveness is not isolated to her on-court play. She also channels it in the classroom. 

Speas has been a golden scholar during her high school career and is meeting qualifications as a senior.

“I actually consider my grades to be a bigger success than anything I’ve done on the volleyball court,” Speas said.