Benet junior point guard Kathleen Doyle leads her team in assists and steals. She’s third in scoring and shoots nearly 40 percent from three-point distance. At 5-9, she jumps center to start every game, and wins the tip more often than not.
Oh, and she also leads the No. 2 Redwings in blocks and rebounds.
Where did Doyle get her dynamic athletic ability? Although her five siblings and parents all played sports at Benet, including older brother Mick who played collegiate baseball at Notre Dame and sister Sheila who plays volleyball at North Carolina, it’s probably not genetics.
“I don’t know,” Kathleen said. “I never went to specific training. I think volleyball probably helped with my jumping just because there’s a lot of box jumps and you’re jumping every single play. That probably helped.
“My parents get asked that question all the time, and they say, ‘No, it’s not us.’”
Kathleen Doyle’s foray into sports was inevitable. In addition to Mick and Sheila, Colin played basketball and baseball, Bridget played basketball and ran cross country, and Annie played volleyball and basketball.
But Kathleen’s intangibles are what impress Benet coach Joe Kilbride.
“Apart from her exceptional athleticism and her skills as a basketball player, I think what makes her special is her demeanor,” Kilbride said. “She is a very grounded, unselfish, down-to-earth, no-drama kid. She says that when you are the youngest in a family of six you don’t have much chance to get a big head because there is always an older brother or sister ready to keep you in line.
“Whatever the reason, she has grown into a very level-headed, intelligent and competitive young lady, which combined with her exceptional skills and athleticism, make her an outstanding point guard and team leader. Many of the schools recruiting her have told me that they loved her game when they first saw her, but as they have gotten to know her personally through the recruitment process, they want her even more because of her qualities as a person.”
Doyle is being recruited by schools from many major conferences, including the Big Ten, Big East, PAC 12, SEC and ACC. She is also an A-plus student, which has drawn interest from Ivy League schools like Harvard and Princeton.
“I’m not really focusing on the recruiting process during the basketball season,” she said. “We’re really focused on what we’re trying to do at Benet.”
Doyle and the Redwings checked one item off their list by winning the Montini tournament, where she was named the MVP.
“We knew that the Montini tournament was going to have really great teams in it,” she said. “We were undefeated before the tournament, but we knew there would be an opportunity to prove ourselves. I think we did a pretty good job of that.”
What’s next on the list?
“We’re focused on conference right now just because it’s starting to pick up,” Doyle said. “We do have a list of things of things we want to improve on before regionals. Six weeks. That’s what Mr. Kilbride tells us. We just want to work and improve and be ready for state playoffs. We’re excited about it.”
