June 3, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Former Texas A&M standout Mary Batis has signed a professional volleyball contract with USSPA Albi Volleyball, based in Albi, France.
Batis, a 6-0 outside attacker who started every match during her four seasons at A&M, capped her illustrious Aggie career in December by helping A&M to a 20-11 record, a No. 21 final ranking and the program's first appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen since 2003. She is the second player from the 2009 squad to sign a professional contract, joining Aggie All-American Sarah Ammerman, who played for the Ponce Lionesses of the Puerto Rico Volleyball Federation this past spring.
Batis didn't consider pursuing a professional career in volleyball until the summer of 2009, just prior to her senior season. But it was A&M's two-week training tour in Europe in 2008 that initially prompted the idea.
"Last summer was when I decided (playing professional volleyball) was for sure something I was going to do," Batis said. "After traveling to Europe two summers ago, I thought it may be cool, but at that time I didn't really much want to pursue a volleyball career after college. But my love for volleyball grew more and I couldn't imagine my life without, and why not get paid to live overseas and play volleyball."
Batis, who has never been to France and does not speak the language, drew interest from several teams in Europe, including one in Slovenia, where the Aggies played during their tour, but France was her top choice.
"You always hear about the south of France and the beauty of it," the San Antonio, Texas native said. "I've always been intrigued by the language. I just think it is the coolest of any of the ones over there that I have heard. And just the whole mantra behind France was really attractive to me. There is not a specific reason, no family, nothing like that. It was just one of those things; you hear names of different things and instantly one pops out to you. That is how it was for me."
There was another significant consideration in the decision-making process: the Albi organization agreed to provide accommodations for Batis and her soon-to-be husband, Andrew Key, a former member of the Texas A&M football team.
"Another team in Slovenia was interested, but I wanted to grab a team as soon as I could because Andrew and I are getting married in August," Batis said. "This team offered a place for us to live. My agent (Nick Ptaschinski) said it was an awesome offer that isn't done for many people. He said I should jump on this one. So I trusted him, and we didn't wait for other offers to come my way because we wanted something pretty quick so that we could get the planning for that out of the way and the wedding planning done as well."
This past season, Batis received the team's best defensive award for the third consecutive time after leading A&M in digs per set for the third straight year. Her name is scattered throughout the A&M career records, including ranking fourth in total points (1,619), fifth in digs (1,366) and eighth in kills (1,428).
A three-time member of the Academic All-Big 12 Volleyball Second Team, Batis graduated from A&M in May with a bachelor's degree in sport management, but she has never taken a French class.
"I don't know French, but I'm buying Rosetta Stone as soon as possible," she said. "I'm just going to try and get down the basics before I go so that I can communicate. I definitely want to get through the first level of Rosetta Stone before I go over there."
Batis reports to Albi on August 15 and begins practice the following day. The first match is mid-September, and her contract ends May 15.
"We are just going to kind of see how it goes," Batis said when asked how long she intends to play professional volleyball. "I'm not in it by myself, so I have to see how Andrew and I feel about it at the end of our nine months. And if this is something that we are both on board for, then we will stay for another year or for however many years we want and can. But as for now, the plan is to play for nine months.
"This is the prime time of my life. I'm marrying the man I love and I get to have a nine-month honeymoon with him in France. There is a lot that is going on and a lot that we have to look forward to."