Jenilee Rathje has played more volleyball for MSU than anyone to ever hit the court at Jenison Field House, smashing records along the way. But many argue success in an organized sport isn’t just about athleticism. A player has to have the work ethic and accountability to pull it off.
In the case of MSU volleyball senior outside hitter Rathje, it was a combination of the three that led to her becoming one of the most memorable players in Spartan volleyball history.
Rathje is a two-time team captain and has emerged as one of the top players in the nation, being named first team All-Big Ten in 2010 and putting together a potential All-American type season this year.
In her time with the Spartans, Rathje has played in a program-record 489 sets and only is one game shy of tying the MSU mark for most matches played.
“It’s her conscientious attitude, the way she works, the effort that she gives on everything that she does,” head coach Cathy George said. “She’s been one of the most consistent people that I’ve coached here in terms of every day, (five) years, she’s been there when we need her.”
By the numbers
Statistically speaking, Rathje has pieced together one of the most well-rounded careers in Spartan volleyball history. Having spent time playing outside hitter on both sides and middle blocker, Rathje has shown she can play wherever she is needed.
Rathje’s 1,486 kills put her at eighth best in MSU history, and she ranks ninth in attacks with 3,469.
In five years, Rathje has amassed 332 block assists, which is good enough for seventh in the Spartan record books. She also is one of the Spartans’ most precise attackers, recording a .260 career hitting percentage, putting her just outside the top ten.
In this season alone, Rathje has racked up 487 kills, putting her on pace to be the first Spartan to record 500 in a season since Ashley Schatzle did so in 2007 and leading the Spartans to a 21-11 overall record, marking their most regular season wins since 1998.
She is averaging 4.27 kills per set, well above her career average, and has eight double-double box scores on the season, equalling the mark from her previous four years.
What can’t be measured
Although Rathje’s statistical accomplishments are staggering, it is the intangibles that her teammates say make her one of the best college volleyball players in the nation.
In 2008, Rathje tore her ACL 12 games into the season and had to forfeit her sophomore year.
Fellow senior outside hitter Becca Zlabis was there for Rathje throughout and said the experience helped Rathje grow as a player and as a leader.
“When she tore her ACL, she was back in record time because she worked extra hard to get back,” Zlabis said. “I think she can use that injury and help everyone else overcome their own. And she’s done a great job, and she’s someone to look up to for that.”
Rathje has embraced the role of team captain wholeheartedly, leading in the traditional sense of the word, and also through example.
In the past, George has compared Rathje to another Spartan leader — MSU quarterback Kirk Cousins — and Rathje echoed the message of Cousins’ recent Big Ten media days speech when asked about how she has grown during her time as a Spartan.
“It’s been a privilege to lead this team,” Rathje said. “At first I thought leadership was just leading by example. But it’s not always that easy … because it’s something personal. You need to have what it takes to touch each person, motivate each person and inspire them to be better and reach their potential.”
George also praised Rathje’s enthusiasm for the game and the way her reactions after a big play can inspire the team. Zlabis added because Rathje has been with the team for so long, she can recognize when another teammate might need more encouragement.
“She’s a fifth-year: she’s been through it all,” Zlabis said. “She’s been able to take her experiences and help and mentor all of us. She’s seen it all, so when she sees what path we’re going down, she can stop it.”
After the final whistle
Off the court, Rathje completed her undergraduate studies in marketing with a 3.84 GPA in three and a half years and now is pursuing a master’s degree in kinesiology with a specialization in sports administration, in which she maintains a GPA of 4.0.
She has been named to the Academic All-Big Ten team the past two years and likely will be named again when the awards are announced in the coming weeks. Rathje already has locked up first team Academic All-District honors this season.
When her time with the team is finished, Rathje said she likely will intern within the athletics department while she finishes up her degree and afterward hopes to work with the NCAA.
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“I just love being around the competitive nature of sports, so to be in that environment all the time would be awesome,” she said. “With how much passion I have for sports and their competitiveness, I know I wouldn’t be going to a job, I would be doing something that I love.”
However, as the NCAA tournament approaches, life after volleyball will be an afterthought as the Spartans hope to advance past Arizona on Friday in Austin, Texas.
But when the time comes for Rathje to hang up her uniform, she has one hope for her legacy in the Green and White.
“I’d like to leave (the team) in a better place than when I got here and just know that, overall, I’ve made a difference in each one of the girls’ lives that I’ve been a part of,” Rathje said. “That’s really the biggest thing I can hope for, is that I’ve touched their lives in some way special.”
