KUTZTOWN, PA (August 20, 2010) – There's an empty place in the burgundy bleachers where once a set of trusting and observant eyes used to occupy each time Lindsay Confer stepped on a volleyball court. Those watchful eyes witnessed Confer take perfectly placed passes from teammates and sent them crashing to Earth with enough force to put craters the size of Berks County into the hardwood floor.
The few inches of empty space in the Kutztown stands was where “Pap Tom” used to sit. That's how Confer affectionately knew her grandfather, Thomas Tedrow as, and it's why she'll be playing this season with a heavy heart. A senior biology and pre-professional major, Confer will go on without “Pap Tom,” though not without his spirit and his words still chiming in her ears, after he died over the summer from complications of a heart attack suffered years earlier.
He attended most of her games and while he will not be physically present when Confer takes the court this season for the Golden Bears, she knows he will be watching and cheering from above.
The lessons learned, numerous discussions and laughs the pair shared are indelibly left on Confer's memory bank. With Kutztown returning 14 players from last year's 16-win team that qualified for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoffs, Confer is looking to make her senior season one to remember. She has extra motivation.
“This season is for him,” Confer said. “He came to as many of our matches that he could attend. It really hasn't quite sunk in yet that he's no longer with us because we've been trying to keep everybody busy especially my grandmother. Now that I am back here so that helps a little bit. I guess it is good timing to get my mind off of everything and focus on something different. It'll probably hit me soon though.”
Fortunately, Confer had an opportunity to spend plenty of time with her grandfather this summer. Confer, along with her younger siblings, did lunch together with "Pap Tom" on a regular basis. Then, when he suffered his stroke, Confer was in the hospital by his side.
“He had the heart attack before I was born,” Confer said. “This summer, I was sitting at home and we got the call that we had to see him because they said that he might not make it through the night. Then he ended up making it through that night and then another week. I spent a lot of time with him. So I am glad that I got a chance to do that. We were really close. He had a stroke. Hopefully I can find a cure for that some day.”
In honor of her grandfather, Confer is more determined than ever to work in the medical field. She interned this summer at the State College Medical Center where she shadowed a cardiologist, a dermatologist and neurologist. Confer witnessed a stint being placed into a patient, which she admitted was the best part of the experience. In addition to getting exposed to her possible career field, Confer also worked Kutztown's volleyball camp and with her dad's quarry company processing invoices.
While Confer wants to work with the heart, she has some unfinished business on the volleyball court this year. The Golden Bears' strong season ended with a 3-1 home loss to Shippensburg in the PSAC quarterfinals last season. The team has used that defeat as fuel entering this season.
Confer enjoys being one of the women on the court. However, it's been hard for her to stay anonymous when she finishes plays the way Kobe Bryant closes out a basketball game. Quite frankly, Confer is one of the best players in the PSAC East -- carving up opponents like a surgeon -- although you would never know that from speaking with her. She plays for fun and would be just as happy if a word was never written about her sterling performances.
“It's really exciting but it's not all on me because without the pass or the set, I wouldn't have the opportunities to finish plays,” Confer said. “As soon as the ball lands, I am like good set. I get all the glory, but everybody does all of the work. I definitely like to play and it's always fun to have the people watching you. I work hard but I couldn't do any of this without my teammates.”
Last season, Confer played in 84 sets as a junior, leading the Golden Bear attack with 212 kills and a 2.52 kills per set average. She also recorded 17 blocks, 163 digs and five service aces. She enters this season with 821 kills. She needs 179 kills to become the fifth player in Kutztown volleyball history to top 1,000 kills for her career.
“Physically, she is a very strong and explosive player,” Kutztown volleyball head coach John Gump said. “We can use her to hit a variety of sets in our offense and she hits a very heavy ball. She has worked hard to improve her ball handling and defense and has become a dependable player in both areas. She's extremely bright and understands our system well. She is able to think tactically and makes very good decisions on the court.
“She is also one of most motivated and focused players I have ever coached. She has the ability to take over a match and there's not that many players in our division that can do that consistently.”
While Confer has put up impressive statistics on the court, she has posted better numbers in the classroom. She's been on the Dean's List in each semester she has worn the maroon-and-gold. In addition, Confer is a three-time all-PSAC scholar athlete and this summer she was named to the Association of Athletic Directors all academic team.
“I just took MCATs and I want to get into medical school,” Confer said. “If that doesn't work out, I'd like to go grad school and be a professor. As for this season, our expectation are really high. We are expecting to be back in the PSAC playoffs, win the East and be competitive with the teams from the West.”
NOTES: The Golden Bears begin their season on Friday, September 3 by hosting the Kutztown Classic. Kutztown will open against Le Moyne at 4:30 p.m. on September 3. A complete schedule and preview of the KU Classic will be available on www.kubears.com at a later date.
