Know the Newcomers: Calissa Minatee

Calissa Minatee is a true freshman middle blocker from Kansas City, Mo. She enrolled at Minnesota in the spring of 2023 and competed with the team all semester leading up to her freshman year in 2023. She was an Under Armour All-American and an AVCA Second Team All-American in the fall of 2022.

GS: Your bio says you grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, is that where you've lived your whole life?
CM: Yes, my mom's side of the family is from Kansas City, so we have a lot of family there. It's where I've been since I was born.

GS: Tell me about your family, you have two sisters?
CM: I have two sisters, Chandler (older) and Camryn (younger). Chandler plays basketball in college at Oklahoma State, where she transferred to from Kansas. Camryn plays volleyball and is about to be in high school this fall. I would say I'm pretty close with both of my sisters. Our relationships have definitely progressed as we've gotten older and there's no more petty fights.

GS: Were you always attracted to playing volleyball or did you love other sports and activities growing up?
CM: I started off with dance, but I knew immediately it wasn't for me. I played soccer for a little while before playing volleyball. There was a rec league and then I eventually started playing club. I was around 11 years old when I started playing club and it kind of just took off from there. It wasn't serious at first as my mom (Jacinthia Prater-Minatee) just wanted an activity for me to do, but at some point we figured out we could get my education paid for one day if I kept playing and developing.

GS: Was your mom a big athlete growing up?
CM: She was, she played basketball and ran track. I don't think she ever played volleyball though.

GS: When did you start gaining the confidence that you could play volleyball at a high level?
CM: I had a really influential coach in my life, his name is Ibraheem Suberu (Coach I-B). He coached me in the club space. I remember one day all the rec volleyball girls were playing and the club coaches were seeing who could potentially join their clubs. He came over to me and asked me to jump straight up and touch the antenna. I guess I got pretty high up there and he looked around at the other coaches with a look that said 'we got something here.' But when he coached me, he taught me all the fundamentals and how to really play. I started playing on older teams and kept getting better. When I was 12 I knew I was pretty good, but coach I-B was for sure one of the reasons I started believing in myself.

GS: When you were playing club, what was that experience like when you started seeing college coaches at games?
CM: I didn't have many nerves when I was growing up and playing, but when I started seeing coaches come around on the sideline, I'll admit I was a bit nervous at first. But the more I played with the coaches watching, the less I thought about it. Volleyball is my sport and this is what I do, so I just played my game and figured I let the chips fall where they may. I knew I was coming up on something great and I was happy to be in those situations.

GS: What was your recruitment process like in high school?
CM: My very first call was actually from Minnesota. I was really excited because I was a really big fan of [former Gophers middle blocker] Taylor Morgan. As a black mother, my mom would always try and find role models to show me and my sisters that this is something that you can achieve. We used to watch Taylor Morgan and Stephanie Samedy play on TV - she would always be like 'Minnesota's playing' let's check it out. She would always put these role models in front of me, and Minnesota seemed to have the most of any college program. I don't think I ever had a dream school growing up, but I had a lot of role models come through Minnesota.

Morgan Taylor, Minatee Calissa, Davis Arica — Minatee (R) joined by teammate Arica Davis (L) and former Gopher Taylor (Morgan) Reid.

GS: What was it like getting to meet Taylor during the Athletes Unlimited event in April?
CM: It was awesome getting to meet her and the other athletes. She was hilarious on the sideline - I didn't even know her nickname was 'Tay Money.' That's the one thing about being around the players and coaches, they're all human too. I loved talking to her and she's a great person. It was really fun.

GS: Back to your recruitment, once Minnesota starting talking to you, did you always have them at the top of your list?
CM: I'd say the Gophers were always my favorite. I was also heavily considering an ACC and a Pac-12 school as well, but I always really wanted here. I feel like it's so glamorized with commitments initially with recruits. Some people are sure and others have second thoughts. I'm not going to lie, at one point I had second thoughts. But with talking to my coach, he even said to me, 'just from hearing you talk, it was always Minnesota and then the other schools.' My mom said the same thing. She just said it feels like this is what you want, and you have to stick with what you feel is best.

GS: You followed through with your commitment when signing with Minnesota in November, even though you weren't sure who the head coach was going to be. What was that time in your life like?
CM: I remember getting the call that there was going to be a change. I didn't freak out, I just thought 'Minnesota is still my home.' Of course you're not around your head coach all the time, but the head coach definitely matters a lot. I feel like God makes plans and this was my plan so I'm going to stick to the plan. I talked with family, the people in my circle, with Sydney [Schnichels] and stayed true to Minnesota. I really appreciated when Hugh [McCutcheon] let us know and everything totally made sense.

GS: What aspects of Minnesota really attracted you to the school?
CM: I went on my visit and we had a really good dinner. The girls all seemed like they got along so well. I always mentioned how a family-like environment is so important for me and I felt that here. The facilities are awesome and they're all in one place. I'm either at my apartment, Bierman or at the Pav, so it's perfect. Of course, great volleyball is played here and it's the Big Ten, so those are the big three reasons.

GS: Who are your roommates at Minnesota?
CM: [Junior middle blocker] Arica Davis. She's awesome and absolutely hilarious. She really helped me with my transition to college and being away from home. I was never homesick but she let me know some of the things I needed and she has really been a mentor to me.

GS: So you graduated high school in December and then a few days later you're in college. How has that transition been, athletically and academically?
CM: Academically, it was surprisingly easier than I thought. I really challenged myself in high school with my course work with some college-level classes. It felt like the same pace here with time management and leaving enough time for my studies. Volleyball-wise, it's always going to be a struggle coming to the next level, and I knew that going in. When it was hard, I knew that was the expectation. If it were easy, I probably didn't choose the right place. When things got tough, I knew this was part of the process. I'm playing against the best of the best so I knew it would be competition every day. I'm being patient with myself, but I can see myself getting better.

GS: What motivates you to become the best you can be?
CM: I'm very internally motivated and if I don't play well, I know it myself. I'll always take feedback and try to apply it to help my game. But what drives me is that I want to take care of my family one day. I want to thrive in academics, thrive in volleyball and thrive in every aspect of life I can thrive in. I just want to be better than the generation that came before me and make my family proud.

GS: What are you most looking forward to in your freshman year?
CM: Definitely the first home game at the Pav. But other than that I'm looking forward to it all! I want the full experience and it's coming up so fast.

GS: Are there any games in particular you have marked on your calendar?
CM: I want to say Texas is going to be a super fun one to play. But really, every game is an important one. I'm excited to play.

GS: Who is Calissa Minatee on the floor?
CM: I'm very energetic and very aggressive. I'm really good in front and on the slide. I can specialize in the '3' or in the gap.

GS: What do you hope for the team to accomplish this year?
CM: We definitely want to win the conference and then the big goal being the national title. We want to stick to our values and stay true to them. If we do that, we'll stay together and not fall apart when things get tough.

GS: Off the court, what do you like to do when you're not playing volleyball?
CM: I definitely like to sit back and relax. I'm more introverted and need my space until I recharge. Me and Arica are kind of the same there. We'll just chill out and watch a show and make something good to eat. I like to make things like my dad (Lester Minatee) does at home. So I make chicken, tacos and anything else he likes to make.

Favorite Food: Fettuccine Alfredo
Musical Artists: Kendrick Lamar and Brickface
Fun Fact: I still listen to Tove Lo
Hidden Talent: I'm very fast at typing up essays and research papers
Sport to Watch: Hockey and Tennis
Pro Sports Team: The Boston Celtics (favorite player is Jayson Tatum)
Vacation Spot: Hawaii
TV Shows: The Mole
Inspiration: My mother

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Know the Newcomers: Calissa Minatee

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