Feb. 10, 2012
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By Andrew Jennette
UCFAthletics.com
CLERMONT, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - When she first committed to UCF in December 2010, freshman Kahley Novak (Clermont, Fla.) had no idea that her first Division I collegiate softball game would be played practically in her own backyard.
Novak and the rest of the Knights softball team is set to make the approximately one hour trip west to the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., bright and early on Friday morning for Dot Richardson's National Collegiate Softball Invitational. The NTC softball complex is within walking distance from East Ridge High School where Novak finished her career with a .547 batting average and 109 stolen bases.
A left-handed hitter with great speed, Novak is expected to be the Knights' starting left fielder and leadoff hitter this season. The coaching staff hopes she can use that speed to be a terror for opponents on the base paths as well as in the outfield.
"I led off in high school so I'm pretty used to being that table setter. I know we have a lot of hitters in our lineup that can really drive in runs, but we have to get on base to give them a chance," Novak said. "Our coaches tell us all the time that we're going to have to be aggressive on the bases this year to get ourselves into scoring position for our middle of the order hitters."
Despite being a standout shortstop at East Ridge and being originally recruited as an infielder, the coaching staff moved Novak to the outfield during fall practice to best utilize her speed and range. The results were tremendous as Novak pushed three-year starter Vanessa Perez (San Diego, Calif.) for the starting centerfield position before settling into left field.
"I played mostly shortstop in high school, but we've got one of the best shortstops in the conference in Natalie, so I was more than happy to move to the outfield," Novak said. "It helps a lot that we have two seniors in Vanessa and Tawny that really are both excellent at communication and helping me be in the best spots before the pitch."
When asked about how she felt about getting to play at the National Training Center complex again, Novak could barely contain her enthusiasm.
"I'm super excited about this weekend," Novak said. "I've been telling all of my friends and family from back home that they all better be there cheering us all on. I pretty much know everyone in Clermont, so hopefully we bring out a lot of fans this weekend."
The Knights begin play with a doubleheader on Friday beginning with an 11 a.m. contest vs. Ohio State, followed by a 5 p.m. contest with Florida A&M. The tournament will come to a close for the Black and Gold on Saturday as they tackle a second doubleheader against Bethune-Cookman at 3 p.m. followed by a showdown with Chattanooga at 5 p.m.