Huntington senior Cat Jamison garnered a pair of prestigious honors at this week’s Suffolk Volleyball Coaches Awards Dinner at East Wind Caterers in Wading River.
The Bucknell University bound teenager was named to the All-County and also captured the Maura Stouter Award, presented in memory of a Suffolk coaching legend who notched 590 varsity victories and 23 league titles during a remarkable 33 year career.
Jamison is one of the best players to ever wear a Blue Devil volleyball uniform. She was recruited by more than 50 colleges, but settled on Bucknell, where she is “thinking of majoring in English and minoring in computer science,” she said. “I wish to find a job that combines all my passions and gives me the opportunity to help others. I am also a writer and want to publish a book one day.”
“Cat Jamison is the most talented player I have had the privilege of coaching at Huntington High School,” head coach Lauren Visbal said. “Along with that talent comes leadership, enthusiasm, courage, kindness, drive, resilience and passion. I remember my first year coaching; meeting Cat as an eighth grader who had been moved up to the JV level. I knew immediately that she was someone special both on and off the court. Huntington volleyball has had very little success over the years, but that changed once Cat stepped into the picture. From the start she was so determined to make it to playoffs and last year for the first time in over 25 years, Cat led our team to the playoffs.”
A crowd of 725 attended the awards banquet at East Wind Caterers. The evening capped off a stellar high school career for Jamison.
“Watching her grow over the last five years has been remarkable,” said Visbal about Jamison. “She has given everything to this sport and it shows in all of her accomplishments. Even this season, she faced the challenge of having an injury, which caused her to sit out of several matches. She did not let it affect her. Cat helped guide her teammates and cheer them on during the games she missed and never put her head down, which shows how devoted she is to this sport and to her second family. Her passion and competitive spirit for this game is contagious and really influenced the team in a positive way.”
Ms. Stouter’s remarkable teaching and coaching career resulted in her induction into both the Smithtown school district SUNY Cortland Halls of Fame. She was a pioneer in Suffolk girls’ volleyball and spurred the unification of seasons at a time when some high school volleyball teams played in the fall and others in the spring.
“Maura was an extraordinary woman who has done so much for high school volleyball across Long Island,” Ms. Visbal said. “She was fierce, competitive, a leader, a pioneer, a women’s rights activist and one of the kindest people around. She lost her battle to cancer in June of 2011. The winner of the Maura Stouter Award must be pretty special, because Maura Stouter was a class act and simply the best.”
There isn’t any doubt that Cat Jamison is pretty special.
