The NJCAA boasts an array of talented volleyball players, but there’s only one .
Now in the final stretch of a majestic-two year run with the Blinn College volleyball team, Dorotik has solidified herself as one of the top offensive threats in junior college volleyball. As her team charges toward the postseason, her leadership on and off the court is proving just as valuable as her scoring ability.
“Kellen is a special, special player,” Blinn head volleyball coach Terry Gamble said. “There are really good volleyball players out there, and then there’s Kellen.”
Coached by Gamble during her time as a member of his club volleyball team, Dorotik chose to sign with Blinn out of high school despite never having a formal recruiting conversation with her future collegiate head coach. Instead, Gamble said Dorotik made the decision on the same basis she determines most of her outcomes – fit and feel.
(Pictured: Blinn’s Kellen Dorotik, right, high fives Cierra Pesak, as she comes off the court against Miami Dade on Aug. 31, 2024)
“She’s so level-headed, on and off the court in pretty much everything she does,” Gamble said. “So many young players get caught up in wanting to immediately go NCAA Division I or playing at the highest level, but Kellen was all about making the best choice for her. I told her she would have an offer at Blinn if she wanted it, and she surprised me at the start of our club practice one day by saying she was coming to play for me; she made that decision and she stuck by it.”
Dorotik’s initial college experience was not without its turbulence.
Early-season hitting errors coupled with limited hitting opportunities at the net contributed to a slow start in 2023 (just one double-digit kill performance in her first eight matches), but Dorotik says that once her internal clock caught up to the pace of the game around her, everything clicked.
“I wasn’t fully integrated into our offense right away and there was sort of a feeling-out period as I got comfortable with our setters and the level of play on the other side of the net,” Dorotik said. “When you first arrive on a new team, you spend time figuring out your role because no one knows what you have to offer. Then when you get your chance, you have to grab it and I think I did that.”
When the spotlight turned toward Dorotik, she shined, ultimately leading her team with 522 kills (fourth highest in NJCAA Division I). She registered 29 matches with at least 10 kills, including 15 in a row, and also proved herself a worthy defender with 164 digs and 68 blocks. That effort helped propel the Bucs to their fourth consecutive NJCAA Division I national tournament appearance and earned Dorotik NJCAA second-team All-America and Region XIV Co-Player of the Year honors.
(Pictured: Blinn’s Kellen Dorotik, spikes the ball past a blocker during a game against Dallas Christian College on Sept. 20, 2024)
Dorotik’s undeniable impact has continued into 2024, where the 6-foot right-side hitter leads the nation with 434 kills and has guided the Bucs to a 26-2 overall record and a current 19-match winning streak.
She also has double-digit kills in all but three of her 28 matches played, including six outings with 20 or more.
“Maybe I’m jumping higher,” Dorotik joked. “I haven’t changed much. I’m just going up with the intention of hitting around the block, or hitting high off the block. It’s really important at this level to read blocks because the block is usually pretty good on the other side. If you can read, you can be pretty successful.”
This season, Gamble added new pieces to his floor defense, allowing Dorotik to take a break from digging duty and broaden her net skills. She has responded with a team-high 71 combined blocks (63 assists and eight solos).
“The kills are great, and the blocks are great, and every one that hits the floor is awesome,” Dorotik said. “We’re winning too, and that makes what I’m able to do out there mean a little more. When I’m doing well and the team is doing well, that’s the perfect situation.”
For all her success on the court, Gamble said he most admires Dorotik for her character and selfless leadership. An example Gamble believes was set by 2023 sophomore hitter LaNeah Lara has subsequently been continued by Dorotik. After Lara’s promising final season as a Buc was cut short due to injury last year, she transformed into the ultimate cheerleader as Dorotik filled her shoes on offense.
(Pictured: Blinn’s Kellen Dorotik and Jana Cetkovic attempt a block during a game against College of DuPage on Sept. 19, 2024)
Lara’s undying support has rubbed off on Dorotik, who has celebrated the achievements of the players around her, even when they are nipping at her heels.
Though Dorotik leads the nation in kills, her teammate – freshman outside hitter MaKenna Loo – ranks second with 309. There have been a handful of matches this season in which Loo has paced the Bucs in kills.
“I want it to be like that every year,” Dorotik said. “I want our players to be up there in the stats and see a bunch of Blinn names in those rankings. It reflects how hard we work, it shows our work ethic, and it proves how much the girls here put into this game. I want as many people up there with me as possible because it proves how great of a program we have here.”
Dorotik is committed to NCAA Division II powerhouse West Texas A&M, a program that hasn’t experienced a losing season in nearly a decade. Following her graduation from Blinn, Dorotik will join the Buffaloes and continue her pursuit of a degree in health sciences. From there, she says a career in nursing or as a physician’s assistant could be next. Whatever her decision may be, Dorotik has already shown a propensity for making the right call.
“It’s crazy to think my time at Blinn is coming to an end because I honestly feel like I just got here,” Dorotik said. “When it’s over, I know I’m going to look back on this part of my journey as one of the best decisions I’ve made as a student-athlete and as a person. Blinn definitely was the right choice for me.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 national championships since 1987.
