Ramatowski Feels at Home Back in Manhattan
Mar 24, 2022 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Twelve years after Lauren (Mathewson) Ramatowski graduated from Kansas State as one of the best liberos in the history of the volleyball program, she is officially back in Manhattan as an assistant coach under Suzie Fritz.
Ramatowski flourished as a player under Fritz, who enters her 22nd season as head coach, and the Kansas City, Missouri native still holds school records for most digs in a five-set match (41), digs as a sophomore (505), most sets played as a freshman (119) and as a sophomore (123). Ramatowski's 25 career matches with at least 20 digs ranks second in school history and helped the Wildcats to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Ramatowski returns to Manhattan after spending two seasons as assistant coach at Arkansas. She also earned 2018 USMC/AVCA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year honors during a two-year stint at Washburn University. She helped the Ichabods to a 33-5 record and a berth in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship.
K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen spoke with Ramatowski about her life and career as she embarks upon this exciting opportunity with the Wildcats:
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: It's always special to go back home. How does it feel to return to K-State?
LAUREN RAMATOWSKI: It's wonderful. It's just a very special feeling for our family just to return and get the opportunity to coach with Suzie is pretty special for me because she's had a pretty big impact on my life. We're pretty excited. I think about family and support when I think about K-State. K-State has this unique atmosphere where everybody is supported and they celebrate each other. When we came back it was like, 'This feels like family.' It's a brand for K-State. I think they do a really good job of embodying it. It's awesome. It's really nice to be closer to home. I'm from Kansas City, which is good for my kiddos to see their grandparents and cousins, and that's always special. K-State is a lot different than when I was there. I haven't visited in a while being a college coach and being busy. There's a lot that's changed, which is exciting, but Manhattan still has that K-State family atmosphere. The buildings are just a little bit bigger than they were.
FRITCHEN: How excited are you for the new volleyball facility?
RAMATOWSKI: It's going to be amazing. I'm so happy for Suzie and (head Olympic strength and conditioning coach) Danny Cavender. Both of them deserve this. Suzie has been in Ahearn and making it as special as she could and it has a lot of history and is a special place, but as far as just recruiting and providing for the student-athletes, I think this was an important piece for K-State. There are a lot of other volleyball programs that have their own facility. To be able to provide that for the girls and for the fans is big. I'm excited because I have a marketing background, so I'm excited to get in there and make this a really cool in-game experience and to work with K-State marketing folks to make sure it's a really unique experience when they come to our place. The Olympic training center right next to it is going to be amazing. I know Danny is super excited about that. It's well deserved for him.
FRITCHEN: Can you give me a sense of what your duties will entail as assistant coach?
RAMATOWSKI: I'll serve as recruiting coordinator, so recruiting will be one of my main responsibilities. On the volleyball court, as of right now we've spoken about overseeing the defensive systems for us and point scoring and serve, block, back-row defense, and just giving a lot of love to the liberos. Obviously, with my experience as a libero, that lends itself well to that position. Because of my experience, I'll probably oversee passing as well with the first contacts and serve-receive. Again, I know we're meeting as coaches for the first time, and we'll be able to hash out a little bit our strengths and how we can help each other. I'm sure I'll oversee academics just to make sure our girls are on the right track and making sure when our recruits come in, they're prepared and taking the right classes so they'll transition really easily. I hope to have an impact on marketing. That's just a background of mine. I've made an impact on marketing wherever I've been.
FRITCHEN: Does it feel like 12 years have passed since you played libero at K-State?
RAMATOWSKI: It does and it doesn't. My body definitely feels like it's been 12 years. It's a perfect timing for our family. I had the opportunity to step away and I've had a lot of wonderful experiences at other schools that I think have prepared me to be able to step in and hit the ground running here and really feel like I can contribute. I'm grateful for all of the work experiences I've had. It's different, you know. I was a student-athlete and you're just in a different phase of life. Now I'm married with children, so it's definitely a different experience, and it's special.
FRITCHEN: What most impresses you about the culture that Suzie Fritz has built during her time at K-State?
RAMATOWSKI: Suzie is super competitive and wants to win, but she also understands that there's a lot that goes on while you're in college. So, she's always been the biggest supporter and advocate for those young women going through her program. As far as culture, that was one of the things I asked the girls on my interview — 'What's your culture like?' They said exactly what I expected, which is that it's very supportive and very encouraging of one another, and it's like a family. That's something that Suzie has been able to sustain over her time, creating this culture that is super competitive, but also at the same time staying grounded. They're there for each other. That's something I know I experienced, and I see that still there in their culture today, so that's awesome.
FRITCHEN: Just how competitive is the Big 12 Conference?
RAMATOWSKI: It's one of the top volleyball conferences in the country. I've been grateful for my experience at Arkansas where we're in the SEC and we have a similar strength of schedule as far as conference goes. It'll be a pretty nice little transition. I'll be able to step in because I understand what it takes to compete at this level. Both conferences are extremely competitive in volleyball. The Big 12 is different than when I played. There've been several changes, but it's a very competitive conference. You're never going to have an easy conference match. That's what's fun. I enjoy that competitive atmosphere.
FRITCHEN: You talk about Arkansas, and you were also 2018 Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year while at Washburn University. What have you learned about yourself over the course of your coaching career?
RAMATOWSKI: That's a good question. There's a lot. The first thing that comes to mind is just patience and understanding as a coach. I do attribute my life changing to this because as a mother it's transitioned me to be a little bit more patient. It's a process. Players are going to go through their good times and bad times, and it's important to be patient with them and to support them through that. Being patient is something I've noticed personally. Also, I have the ability to just communicate, which is important as a coach. Are you able to build relationships with these young women? I think you can know a lot about the game but if you can't communicate it, it's going to be difficult for them to understand it. Because I've been able to coach at four NCAA universities, I've just learned to communicate with different athletes. I can be their biggest supporter as they're learning and going through the game. Through my experiences, I've evolved in my patience and ability to communicate.
FRITCHEN: You received your Master's in leadership and sports administration. What made you want to get into coaching?
RAMATOWSKI: Just the relationships with the student-athletes. That's been my source of motivation. I love the game, but when it comes down to it, I just really enjoy the experience with those girls and just getting to know them. They're all so uniquely different and wonderful and they go through so much when they're in college. I enjoy being there for them. I got out for a brief moment back when I was first starting and went into the corporate world and worked in marketing and it was wonderful, but I missed those relationships with the girls and that feeling that I could give back a little bit. I had some wonderful people in my life when I went through college. To be able to give back is a really big deal for me.
FRITCHEN: Being a recruiting coordinator, what are the biggest challenges facing coaches in the recruiting world these days?
RAMATOWSKI: It's competitive and that's tough. It just comes down to building the relationships with them. It's a short timeline. You finally get to get recruits on the phone going into their junior year and some of them have already created their list and so you hope you're on that list. If you're not, you hope you can work to be on that list. It comes down to creating relationships and to do that through the phone is pretty difficult. I look forward to the challenge. I know Suzie and I know she's this genuine, wonderful human being, and that's why she's been able to attract so much talent. When she gets on the phone call, she is Suzie. She's not trying to sell anything different from what a student-athlete is going to experience. She'll love you. I look forward to showing people who Suzie is, and that's what makes it pretty unique to be in this position as recruiting coordinator because I know Suzie so well and I've experienced that relationship. For me, it's an easy sell. It doesn't take much for me to explain to a recruit how wonderful Suzie is. I look forward to those conversations. That's easy for me.
FRITCHEN: How do you feel like AAU volleyball has impacted the game in the past decade?
RAMATOWSKI: It's just gotten more and more competitive. These girls have a lot of great opportunities to compete at a really high level at younger and younger ages. The club world has changed. What's impressive is that Kansas City volleyball has improved every single year and they're competing at the national level. They're one of the best club programs to show up at nationals. That's super exciting because that's a market that's right next to us. You've got a lot of really good volleyball around Kansas State in Nebraska and Texas and Kansas City. There's so much good volleyball around you that's so attractive. These kids just have so much opportunity to be able to compete at a really high level. That's what makes it pretty special for them.
FRITCHEN: What are some characteristics that you personally look for when you're recruiting young women to the team?
RAMATOWSKI: The physicality part of the game is important. You look for people who can play at this level and who are high enough and long enough. We're one of the best volleyball conferences in the country. You've got to have that physical component. One of the things that I particularly look for is just their volleyball IQ. You can be a little bit undersized, and if you're just a really good volleyball player you might be able to outplay some of those girls who are a little bit bigger than you. Your volleyball IQ is pretty important. As far as intangibles, you want competitiveness in a healthy way. Are you competitive and can you compete in a healthy way, where you enjoy learning and failure just as much as you do success because you're going to fail a lot when you get to college and you're going to learn a lot. Your ability to be able to handle that is a pretty important component to us whenever we look at those younger athletes.
FRITCHEN: You're going to be closer to home being a Kansas City native. Can you tell me about your family?
RAMATOWSKI: My husband, JC, he's a strength coach. He was the head strength coach at UMHB right before I took the Arkansas job, and he's been assistant strength coach for Arkansas baseball. He's wonderful and pushes me in all the right ways. It's kind of fun because since he does have that strength background, he's always helpful as far as what he sees when he comes to our volleyball games, and in how he believes their performance can improve in terms of their physicality. It's just fun for us to have those conversations when we get home. My two children, Tommy is four and Ella turns two on April 2. They're wonderful and they keep me busy and they're hilarious at the same time. My parents live in Kansas City and my sister, Jamie, and her husband and three children are also from Kansas City. My sister played volleyball at KU, so we're a big volleyball family.
FRITCHEN: Who is better volleyball player — you or Jamie?
RAMATOWSKI: For sure, me. There's no doubt about it.
Twelve years after Lauren (Mathewson) Ramatowski graduated from Kansas State as one of the best liberos in the history of the volleyball program, she is officially back in Manhattan as an assistant coach under Suzie Fritz.
Ramatowski flourished as a player under Fritz, who enters her 22nd season as head coach, and the Kansas City, Missouri native still holds school records for most digs in a five-set match (41), digs as a sophomore (505), most sets played as a freshman (119) and as a sophomore (123). Ramatowski's 25 career matches with at least 20 digs ranks second in school history and helped the Wildcats to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
Ramatowski returns to Manhattan after spending two seasons as assistant coach at Arkansas. She also earned 2018 USMC/AVCA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year honors during a two-year stint at Washburn University. She helped the Ichabods to a 33-5 record and a berth in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championship.
K-State Sports Extra's D. Scott Fritchen spoke with Ramatowski about her life and career as she embarks upon this exciting opportunity with the Wildcats:
D. SCOTT FRITCHEN: It's always special to go back home. How does it feel to return to K-State?
LAUREN RAMATOWSKI: It's wonderful. It's just a very special feeling for our family just to return and get the opportunity to coach with Suzie is pretty special for me because she's had a pretty big impact on my life. We're pretty excited. I think about family and support when I think about K-State. K-State has this unique atmosphere where everybody is supported and they celebrate each other. When we came back it was like, 'This feels like family.' It's a brand for K-State. I think they do a really good job of embodying it. It's awesome. It's really nice to be closer to home. I'm from Kansas City, which is good for my kiddos to see their grandparents and cousins, and that's always special. K-State is a lot different than when I was there. I haven't visited in a while being a college coach and being busy. There's a lot that's changed, which is exciting, but Manhattan still has that K-State family atmosphere. The buildings are just a little bit bigger than they were.
FRITCHEN: How excited are you for the new volleyball facility?
RAMATOWSKI: It's going to be amazing. I'm so happy for Suzie and (head Olympic strength and conditioning coach) Danny Cavender. Both of them deserve this. Suzie has been in Ahearn and making it as special as she could and it has a lot of history and is a special place, but as far as just recruiting and providing for the student-athletes, I think this was an important piece for K-State. There are a lot of other volleyball programs that have their own facility. To be able to provide that for the girls and for the fans is big. I'm excited because I have a marketing background, so I'm excited to get in there and make this a really cool in-game experience and to work with K-State marketing folks to make sure it's a really unique experience when they come to our place. The Olympic training center right next to it is going to be amazing. I know Danny is super excited about that. It's well deserved for him.
FRITCHEN: Can you give me a sense of what your duties will entail as assistant coach?
RAMATOWSKI: I'll serve as recruiting coordinator, so recruiting will be one of my main responsibilities. On the volleyball court, as of right now we've spoken about overseeing the defensive systems for us and point scoring and serve, block, back-row defense, and just giving a lot of love to the liberos. Obviously, with my experience as a libero, that lends itself well to that position. Because of my experience, I'll probably oversee passing as well with the first contacts and serve-receive. Again, I know we're meeting as coaches for the first time, and we'll be able to hash out a little bit our strengths and how we can help each other. I'm sure I'll oversee academics just to make sure our girls are on the right track and making sure when our recruits come in, they're prepared and taking the right classes so they'll transition really easily. I hope to have an impact on marketing. That's just a background of mine. I've made an impact on marketing wherever I've been.
FRITCHEN: Does it feel like 12 years have passed since you played libero at K-State?
RAMATOWSKI: It does and it doesn't. My body definitely feels like it's been 12 years. It's a perfect timing for our family. I had the opportunity to step away and I've had a lot of wonderful experiences at other schools that I think have prepared me to be able to step in and hit the ground running here and really feel like I can contribute. I'm grateful for all of the work experiences I've had. It's different, you know. I was a student-athlete and you're just in a different phase of life. Now I'm married with children, so it's definitely a different experience, and it's special.
FRITCHEN: What most impresses you about the culture that Suzie Fritz has built during her time at K-State?
RAMATOWSKI: Suzie is super competitive and wants to win, but she also understands that there's a lot that goes on while you're in college. So, she's always been the biggest supporter and advocate for those young women going through her program. As far as culture, that was one of the things I asked the girls on my interview — 'What's your culture like?' They said exactly what I expected, which is that it's very supportive and very encouraging of one another, and it's like a family. That's something that Suzie has been able to sustain over her time, creating this culture that is super competitive, but also at the same time staying grounded. They're there for each other. That's something I know I experienced, and I see that still there in their culture today, so that's awesome.
FRITCHEN: Just how competitive is the Big 12 Conference?
RAMATOWSKI: It's one of the top volleyball conferences in the country. I've been grateful for my experience at Arkansas where we're in the SEC and we have a similar strength of schedule as far as conference goes. It'll be a pretty nice little transition. I'll be able to step in because I understand what it takes to compete at this level. Both conferences are extremely competitive in volleyball. The Big 12 is different than when I played. There've been several changes, but it's a very competitive conference. You're never going to have an easy conference match. That's what's fun. I enjoy that competitive atmosphere.
FRITCHEN: You talk about Arkansas, and you were also 2018 Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year while at Washburn University. What have you learned about yourself over the course of your coaching career?
RAMATOWSKI: That's a good question. There's a lot. The first thing that comes to mind is just patience and understanding as a coach. I do attribute my life changing to this because as a mother it's transitioned me to be a little bit more patient. It's a process. Players are going to go through their good times and bad times, and it's important to be patient with them and to support them through that. Being patient is something I've noticed personally. Also, I have the ability to just communicate, which is important as a coach. Are you able to build relationships with these young women? I think you can know a lot about the game but if you can't communicate it, it's going to be difficult for them to understand it. Because I've been able to coach at four NCAA universities, I've just learned to communicate with different athletes. I can be their biggest supporter as they're learning and going through the game. Through my experiences, I've evolved in my patience and ability to communicate.
FRITCHEN: You received your Master's in leadership and sports administration. What made you want to get into coaching?
RAMATOWSKI: Just the relationships with the student-athletes. That's been my source of motivation. I love the game, but when it comes down to it, I just really enjoy the experience with those girls and just getting to know them. They're all so uniquely different and wonderful and they go through so much when they're in college. I enjoy being there for them. I got out for a brief moment back when I was first starting and went into the corporate world and worked in marketing and it was wonderful, but I missed those relationships with the girls and that feeling that I could give back a little bit. I had some wonderful people in my life when I went through college. To be able to give back is a really big deal for me.
FRITCHEN: Being a recruiting coordinator, what are the biggest challenges facing coaches in the recruiting world these days?
RAMATOWSKI: It's competitive and that's tough. It just comes down to building the relationships with them. It's a short timeline. You finally get to get recruits on the phone going into their junior year and some of them have already created their list and so you hope you're on that list. If you're not, you hope you can work to be on that list. It comes down to creating relationships and to do that through the phone is pretty difficult. I look forward to the challenge. I know Suzie and I know she's this genuine, wonderful human being, and that's why she's been able to attract so much talent. When she gets on the phone call, she is Suzie. She's not trying to sell anything different from what a student-athlete is going to experience. She'll love you. I look forward to showing people who Suzie is, and that's what makes it pretty unique to be in this position as recruiting coordinator because I know Suzie so well and I've experienced that relationship. For me, it's an easy sell. It doesn't take much for me to explain to a recruit how wonderful Suzie is. I look forward to those conversations. That's easy for me.
FRITCHEN: How do you feel like AAU volleyball has impacted the game in the past decade?
RAMATOWSKI: It's just gotten more and more competitive. These girls have a lot of great opportunities to compete at a really high level at younger and younger ages. The club world has changed. What's impressive is that Kansas City volleyball has improved every single year and they're competing at the national level. They're one of the best club programs to show up at nationals. That's super exciting because that's a market that's right next to us. You've got a lot of really good volleyball around Kansas State in Nebraska and Texas and Kansas City. There's so much good volleyball around you that's so attractive. These kids just have so much opportunity to be able to compete at a really high level. That's what makes it pretty special for them.
FRITCHEN: What are some characteristics that you personally look for when you're recruiting young women to the team?
RAMATOWSKI: The physicality part of the game is important. You look for people who can play at this level and who are high enough and long enough. We're one of the best volleyball conferences in the country. You've got to have that physical component. One of the things that I particularly look for is just their volleyball IQ. You can be a little bit undersized, and if you're just a really good volleyball player you might be able to outplay some of those girls who are a little bit bigger than you. Your volleyball IQ is pretty important. As far as intangibles, you want competitiveness in a healthy way. Are you competitive and can you compete in a healthy way, where you enjoy learning and failure just as much as you do success because you're going to fail a lot when you get to college and you're going to learn a lot. Your ability to be able to handle that is a pretty important component to us whenever we look at those younger athletes.
FRITCHEN: You're going to be closer to home being a Kansas City native. Can you tell me about your family?
RAMATOWSKI: My husband, JC, he's a strength coach. He was the head strength coach at UMHB right before I took the Arkansas job, and he's been assistant strength coach for Arkansas baseball. He's wonderful and pushes me in all the right ways. It's kind of fun because since he does have that strength background, he's always helpful as far as what he sees when he comes to our volleyball games, and in how he believes their performance can improve in terms of their physicality. It's just fun for us to have those conversations when we get home. My two children, Tommy is four and Ella turns two on April 2. They're wonderful and they keep me busy and they're hilarious at the same time. My parents live in Kansas City and my sister, Jamie, and her husband and three children are also from Kansas City. My sister played volleyball at KU, so we're a big volleyball family.
FRITCHEN: Who is better volleyball player — you or Jamie?
RAMATOWSKI: For sure, me. There's no doubt about it.
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