Mastodon Profile: Kade Bontrager

Kade Bontrager had just finished packing his suitcases and laid down in bed in his Texas home. It was 10:30 p.m., just a few hours before he would move away from his family to play high school volleyball in another state, due to a lack of competitive boys' volleyball in Texas. His best friend and father, Chris, joined him on the bed and did not say word. Tears were shed between the two, as 15-year-old Kade would be a 10-hour drive away from home for the next three years.

"I don't think I'll ever forget that night."

After waking up the following morning, the Bontragers made the drive to Wildwood, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. There, Kade stayed with the Gettingers, who had agreed to serve as his host family while he attended Lafayette High School. One of his host brothers, Alex, also played as an outside hitter, and the two would go on to play together for Lafayette and the St. Louis High Performance club. Yet, this transition was not an easy one.

"It was weird and different. It wasn't my room. It wasn't my family downstairs. It wasn't my parents sleeping down the hall."

For the first few weeks, there was no volleyball to be played. The comfortable thing that Kade made the move for was not set to begin until September. Despite the changes, Dan and Kathy Gettinger welcomed Kade with open arms.

"They were a normal family. I was just another one of their kids."

Alex took Kade under his wing, as a brother should. Before the boys' volleyball season could even begin, they both served as managers for the girls' team. During a drill in which they competed against the girls, they had to do some running as a result of a loss. Kade raced with Alex, who ended up at Pepperdine, and future Ball State Cardinal Nick LaVanchy. His competitive nature got the best of him. He did not want to slow down at the end of the sprint and risk losing to his teammates, so he ran into the wall which resulted in a broken left arm. Add that to the level of stress involved in the move, and Kade's situation became even more sticky and uncomfortable. It took until club volleyball season started, but Kade finally felt comfortable.

"I was in love with the sport, and I still am. Everything I did revolved around it. I wanted to take the next step and I saw an opportunity that allowed me to be better. It felt right once I started doing the thing I went there to do."

St. Louis High Performance had ten players in Kade's class that would go on to play Division I/II volleyball. The talent was finally where he needed it to be. Kade outgrew the Texas volleyball scene by the time he was 15, since high schools in the state did not sponsor boys' volleyball and his club team played on the girls' net. After placing fifth at the national level with his Texas club, his squad only had seven boys return. This was what made the move worth it.

"That's when we knew if I wanted to have opportunities to play past high school I had to go somewhere else to get exposure."

Lafayette High School and St. Louis High Performance brought exactly that. Kade was getting attention from Division I and Division II programs around the country, thanks in part to breaking the Lafayette program record for kills in a single season and making a run to the state final three years in a row. The likes of Concordia Irvine, California Baptist, UCLA, and Purdue Fort Wayne found Kade to be an intriguing option.

"I really liked JW [Kieckhefer] through the recruiting process. He made me feel like this was a family and a comforting place. When I came on my visit, I knew this was the place I wanted to be."

Purdue Fort Wayne was the first coaching staff that told Kade he could have a shot at playing on the outside or libero, whichever fit best with the team. His 6-foot frame caused some apprehension from most programs.

"I had been told my whole life that I was too short. Everyone kept trying to have me switch positions, but once they would see me hit they would move me back to the outside."

In September of his senior year, Kade committed to play at Purdue Fort Wayne. Volleyball and mechanical engineering were the two things that he wanted out of his university of choice, and he was able to find both of them in the Summit City.

Kade still keeps in touch with the Gettingers, even after moving on to college. Every break that he travels back to Plano, Texas, he makes a stop in Wildwood, Missouri to see his second family.

"The whole experience made me a better volleyball player but more importantly an all-around better person. I became more mature and responsible. It was almost like moving to college three years early."

Heading into his sophomore season with Purdue Fort Wayne, he will start the season on the 14thranked team in the country. The Mastodons open the season with NJIT on Friday, January 4, 2019.

~ Feel the Rumble ~

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

Players Mentioned

Kade Bontrager

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