STARKVILLE – Evie Grace Singleton had a big decision to make when she learned that her coach was leaving for Mississippi State.
The Bulldogs hired former Central Arkansas coach David McFatrich in January to lead the program. Singleton played for McFatrich at Central Arkansas and she was torn between her school and her coach.
The two sat down and talked about what her options were.
“At the beginning I kind of said I’m not going to take Evie,” McFatrich said. “I didn’t want to mess them up. Then Evie and I met face-to-face and I broke down a little and she broke down a little and I said, ‘Hey, I want what’s best for you. If it’s best for you to stay here, I want you to stay here. If it’s best for you to come, I want you to know I’d love to finish your career being your coach.'”
Singleton decided to leave Central Arkansas and follow her coach to MSU. She will be a junior as the Bulldogs get the season underway Friday, Aug. 28 with a noon home match against Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the Bulldog Invitational. They also play the University of Louisiana-Monroe at 7 p.m. that same day.
McFatrich has coached Singleton off and on since she was 13-years old, so there was a long history between the two. During their time together, Singleton has grown more and more fond of her coach. She views him more than just a coach.
“He’s a father figure, he’s a friend and really invests in his players,” Singleton said. “He genuinely cares about us and that sets him apart from other coaches.”
Even though Singleton and McFatrich sat down and discussed her options for the next phase of her career, the Little Rock, Arkansas, native said the decision was “a no brainer.”
Singleton couldn’t envision herself playing for another coach and says it’s his attitude that led her to follow him south.
“Just his passion for the game and his style of play,” Singleton said. “I’m a very aggressive athlete and he’s always encouraged me to play my hardest and give nothing less than my best every single match. His passion is so contagious. He walks on the court and gets us going. From the very beginning, it’s a completive atmosphere and it just kind of puts a fire under you.”
The outside hitter saw quite a bit of success at Central Arkansas. She became a starter by the end of her freshman season and started all 32 matches as a sophomore. During her sophomore campaign, Singleton totaled 388 kills and averaged 3.34 per set, which stood ninth overall in the Southland Conference.
She capped off her freshman season by earning ESPN Player of the Match honors in the Sugar Bears’ Southland Conference Championship match.
Singleton played both volleyball and basketball in high school, but McFatrich encouraged her to focus on volleyball more.
“I remember when she was playing basketball and volleyball and I was like, ‘You know what? I know you love basketball, but that’s not your future. Let’s hang out, let’s play and I’ll coach you a little bit,'” McFatrich said.
At first McFatrich only offered her a one-year scholarship, but as she continued to progress the offer went up to two years and then a full-ride scholarship was offered.
“She almost beheaded somebody in a tournament one time and I’m like, ‘OK, let’s just go ahead and give you a full scholarship,'” McFatrich said.
Knowing McFatrich and the rest of the coaching staff has made the transition very easy for Singleton. She is ahead of most of the other players, because she knows what to expect and how McFatrich wants things done.
“I know their systems of play pretty well and they know how I play,” Singleton said. “The transition’s actually been fairly easy, although, this team is definitely a lot more competitive,” Singleton said.
Taking over a new program could be difficult for some, but McFatrich has leaned on Singleton. He considers her the “middle man” and she spent time this summer getting her teammates ready for what was expected of them by the new coaching staff.
“The players know that we’ve been together a long time,” McFatrich said. “They know that she knows how I operate and how I tick. She can convey to the team. She’s the one. She’s kind of the go between and she does a good job with that.”
But Singleton didn’t march into the locker room and try to take over on day one. Rather, she was respectful to the older players and just wanted to fit in. After she gained their trust, that’s when Singleton began giving positive suggestions on how to deal with McFatrich and his system.
“At first I was really careful, but these girls want to get better so bad and they just have that drive and passion for the game,” Singleton said. “Pretty soon after I got here, I recognized that every single person helps each other out on the court. As time went on, if something wasn’t like he would want it, I might say something every now and then.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Ben Wait on Twitter @bcwait
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
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