In her two years suiting up for Florida State indoor volleyball, Jekaterina Stepanova of Riga, Latvia, made an enormous impact and elevated the Seminole program to heights never seen before.
Transferring to the Seminoles from Missouri State-West Plains in 2010, the versatile outside hitter had an exceptional junior season where she averaged 2.6 kills as well as 2.4 digs per set. But it was her standout senior year where she earned second-team All-America honors and guided FSU to an incredible run to FSU’s first-ever NCAA National Semifinal appearance that elevated her to one of FSU’s best. Bolstering the offense with 3.3 kills per set and a .264 hitting percentage, as well as aiding the team’s passing with 2.8 digs per set, Stepanova was one of the country’s best performers earning first team All-ACC honors.
One of Stepanova’s most memorable performances came in FSU’s 3-2 win over Iowa State in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Championship when she recorded 20 kills and a .378 hitting percentage in the most significant win in program history. Her second-team All-America selection by the AVCA as a senior marked just the second time a Seminole was named first or second team.
Stepanova’s incredible play in the 2011 NCAA Tournament ignited a stretch where the program reached the NCAA Sweet 16 and beyond in four of the next six years.
