FOR THE FIRST TIME since her high school days at Perry Meridian, Caitie Baird, newly signed outside hitter for the Indy Ignite, is playing at home in front of her family and friends. The 2019 Marion County Female Athlete of the Year and three-sport athlete always thought she would play basketball, but that plan changed when she was a sophomore in high school.
“I must have been 15 to 16 years old; I was selected for the Youth National U21 Team to play in the NORCECA [North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation] Championships that were in Mexico. That selection gave me a lot of confidence, which was a great boost around that time because I was getting recruited then, too. So that helped to be recognized like that.”
Her recruitment led to a stellar collegiate career at Stanford, where Baird won an NCAA Championship in 2019, three PAC-12 championships, and all-league honors all four years. With the Professional Volleyball Federation still developing, Baird chose to play in Turkey in the coastal city of Bahçelievler located on the Sea of Marmara.
“Playing there was a great experience,” she says. “Without this opportunity, I would never have visited the country on my own. I enjoyed my time. Being outside my comfort zone was an experience.”
According to Baird, the biggest difference between playing in Turkey and here is the ball. “The ball is different,” she said. In Turkey the ball is Mikasa which is the official ball for international competitions. Here Molten volleyballs are used for NCAA and in PVF a Franklin ball is used in competitions. “The biggest difference is the stripes and how the ball reacts after hitting it. I’m trying to get used to that dynamic. Some of them (volleyballs) feel heavier and thicker.”
One aspect of daily life in Turkey that required some adjusting was the ability to communicate with teammates and other people. “I had to get used to the language barrier there. Not everyone speaks English, or they were hard to understand or couldn’t speak English at all. It is nice [with the Ignite] not having to have my drills or instructions told to me several times because of the language barrier. Now, being around family and friends, I can communicate easily. You can call and text all you want, but it’s not the same [in Turkey]. The time difference [Turkey is seven hours ahead of Indy] was also hard to navigate,” she says.
But when her schedule allowed, “breakfast was my favorite thing. Pişi Tarifi, fried dough that looks like a bagel, was great.” Another favorite breakfast staple popular in Turkey’s northern Black Sea region is a delicious blend of local cheeses melted together with coarsely ground cornmeal called muhlama/kuymak. “When it is served, the waiters have a cheese pull and see how long it will go. That was always fun. Every time we had an off day we would go out for breakfast. It was cool to try a different cuisine and get outside my comfort zone.”
While in Turkey, Baird played in the Sultanlar Ligi (Sultans League), one of the top leagues in the volleyball-crazy nation. Known as Vodafone Sultanlar Ligi (due to sponsorship by Vodafone), it is the highest professional women’s volleyball league in Turkey and one of the best in the world. “The volleyball there was top-notch. Every game, you were playing against Olympians.”
Her return home comes at a key juncture in the PVF season. The first-year Indy Ignite franchise is in the final weeks of a successful regular season and heading into the all-important playoffs to compete for $1 million in the Pro Volleyball Federation Championship. Baird’s addition gives a much-needed hand to help combat the on-court loss of injured All-Star Leketor Member-Meneh in the stretch run.
“We have a good group of girls with a lot of talent on this team,” says Baird. “Now, we are just concentrating on getting after it and improving 1 percent every day. I think we have the talent to [win the championship]. I’m not saying we need luck to win, but I’m not going to turn down any luck we get along the way,” she says.
Baird cites some some keys to winning: “The team needs to stay relaxed, stay together, and just play volleyball—like we do every day. I am excited to see how the season turns out. I’m just trying to help the team win any way I can, hopefully winning a championship along the way.”
