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Rising Star: Katie Groff’s Impressive Development
10/21/2022 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
By Charlotte Tannenbaum, Duke Athletic Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM – Any Duke women's soccer fan could tell you that junior defender Katie Groff plays an essential role on Blue Devil squad. Currently in her third season at Duke,, it is hard to imagine the defensive line without her. As soon as she stepped on campus freshman year, Groff knew that she needed to put the work in to grow into the effective collegiate athlete she is today.
"It was an adjustment at first, but all my teammates and coaches believed in my transition and that I would be able to adapt," said Groff.
And they were right. Groff has become an indispensable member of the team and an important leader on the defensive end. Though she was able to keep up with the high level of collegiate soccer from the start, Groff still had to fight for her playing time.
"As far as minutes in games, my time freshman year was limited as a center back because there were two seniors in my position," said Groff.
But Groff wasn't discouraged. Instead, the young player focused on the positives.
"I never wanted to show up and just be handed a spot," said Groff. "It was nice to have competitors - and good ones! They were great leaders to learn from and helped me with my development."
Upperclassmen like Caitlin Cosme helped Groff on and off the field, and played a big part in getting her to the level that she plays at today .
"As a freshman, Caitlin would come to me at halftime and ask me what I saw happening on the field," said Groff. "It helped me really look closely at the game and she made sure that I was learning even when I wasn't playing."
Cosme, now graduated and playing for the Orlando Pride after being drafted 10th overall, was equally grateful for Groff.
"I am incredibly honored that she views me as someone who has inspired her but the truth is, she inspired me," said Cosme. "Working side-by-side with someone like Katie everyday made me want to be a better leader and player for her and the rest of the team. I think we worked well together because even though I was older, she was never afraid to give me feedback and hold me accountable, which is so important to me."
Groff's older teammates immediately recognized her huge potential. They made sure to keep the player engaged and always ready.
"I had upperclassmen coming up to me, giving me positive feedback and telling me to keep working hard and not let minutes affect me," said Groff. "Things like that made me a confident player even with less minutes."
Now a regular starter and upperclassman herself, Groff hopes to be just as influential and motivating to newcomers.
"Since girls like Caitlin left such a mark on me, I want to have the same impact on younger players," said Groff. "I think I have a bigger role of a leader now and so I have to be more responsible and more aware of the little things and details that I wasn't as tuned into for my freshman year."
Groff also attributes her huge improvements to feedback from the coaching staff.
"We would have individual meetings where they tell me what I need to focus on, what's keeping me off the field, and what could keep me on," said Groff. "I think that open communication and having that feedback is really helpful."
Groff's determination and willingness to learn did not go unnoticed.
"Katie can serve a great ball and she is going to compete and play hard," said Duke head coach Robbie Church. "There's no excuses from her and she is coachable. Her teammates recognized this in her, too."
"From the moment Katie came her freshman year, she has made this program better and has improved tremendously as a player," saidnCosme. "She is coachable, wants to get better everyday, gives her all in everything she does and makes everyone around her want to work harder. "
A North Carolina native, Groff had her eyes set on Duke from an early age.
"I grew up a Duke fan," said Groff. "Both of my parents and grandparents went here, so I was definitely born a Blue Devil."
Groff grew up in Raleigh, where she played for CASL (now NCFC Youth) as well as the NC Courage Girls Development Academy. Being local has come with a huge perk - her family has been able to support her at games:
"They can come to pretty much every home game, even some of the away games in the ACC," said Groff.
One member of the family however, stays at home: their pig, Stewie. An unconventional pet, Stewie has been happily living with the Groff's for nearly a decade now.
"He was this cute 7-pound little piglet, who was supposed to grow to be 20 pounds … and here we are, nine years later, at 200 pounds," said Groff.
Though proximity to her family has been a plus for Groff, it is far from the only reason she chose Duke.
"I was looking for a school that was as competitive academically as it was for soccer," said Groff. "Duke happened to be a perfect match."
A psychology major, Groff is on the Pre-Med route and has to be as disciplined in the classroom as she is on the field. Following a successful academic career in high school, Groff has continued to thrive at Duke and made both the 2021 & 2022 ACC Honor Roll.
"Katie is everything you want in one of your student-athletes," said Church. "She's very, very good in the classroom and is a lot of fun to be around. So, we're very fortunate to have Katie in our program and she is a huge part of our program."
Though today the Blue Devils can't imagine their defensive line without Groff's leadership and skill, there was a long period of her soccer career when she didn't even play defense.
"I was a midfielder for a while and then at one camp in late middle school they didn't have enough defenders, so I said I could jump in," said Groff. "I realized that I think defensively - I am more of that kind of player."
Years later, Groff knows that it was the right choice and now feels completely at home in the defense line.
"I don't really know what it feels like to score," said Groff. "I'm sure it's a great feeling, but for me I get that rush of excitement and just start buzzing when I make a clean tackle, or win a header over someone else. Those little defensive plays that don't get a lot of recognition are now one of my favorite parts of the game."
Groff's contributions to the program over the years have been undeniably essential. Over the past few seasons, Duke soccer fans have watched the player grow into one of our most important defensive powerhouses. The Blue Devils are lucky to have her strong presence, and as the team looks forward to concluding the regular season and heading into tournament play. One thing's for certain: Groff's leadership and talent will no doubt continue to be crucial contributors to the team's success.
#GoDuke
DURHAM – Any Duke women's soccer fan could tell you that junior defender Katie Groff plays an essential role on Blue Devil squad. Currently in her third season at Duke,, it is hard to imagine the defensive line without her. As soon as she stepped on campus freshman year, Groff knew that she needed to put the work in to grow into the effective collegiate athlete she is today.
"It was an adjustment at first, but all my teammates and coaches believed in my transition and that I would be able to adapt," said Groff.
And they were right. Groff has become an indispensable member of the team and an important leader on the defensive end. Though she was able to keep up with the high level of collegiate soccer from the start, Groff still had to fight for her playing time.
"As far as minutes in games, my time freshman year was limited as a center back because there were two seniors in my position," said Groff.
But Groff wasn't discouraged. Instead, the young player focused on the positives.
"I never wanted to show up and just be handed a spot," said Groff. "It was nice to have competitors - and good ones! They were great leaders to learn from and helped me with my development."
Upperclassmen like Caitlin Cosme helped Groff on and off the field, and played a big part in getting her to the level that she plays at today .
"As a freshman, Caitlin would come to me at halftime and ask me what I saw happening on the field," said Groff. "It helped me really look closely at the game and she made sure that I was learning even when I wasn't playing."
Cosme, now graduated and playing for the Orlando Pride after being drafted 10th overall, was equally grateful for Groff.
"I am incredibly honored that she views me as someone who has inspired her but the truth is, she inspired me," said Cosme. "Working side-by-side with someone like Katie everyday made me want to be a better leader and player for her and the rest of the team. I think we worked well together because even though I was older, she was never afraid to give me feedback and hold me accountable, which is so important to me."
Groff's older teammates immediately recognized her huge potential. They made sure to keep the player engaged and always ready.
"I had upperclassmen coming up to me, giving me positive feedback and telling me to keep working hard and not let minutes affect me," said Groff. "Things like that made me a confident player even with less minutes."
Now a regular starter and upperclassman herself, Groff hopes to be just as influential and motivating to newcomers.
"Since girls like Caitlin left such a mark on me, I want to have the same impact on younger players," said Groff. "I think I have a bigger role of a leader now and so I have to be more responsible and more aware of the little things and details that I wasn't as tuned into for my freshman year."
Groff also attributes her huge improvements to feedback from the coaching staff.
"We would have individual meetings where they tell me what I need to focus on, what's keeping me off the field, and what could keep me on," said Groff. "I think that open communication and having that feedback is really helpful."
Groff's determination and willingness to learn did not go unnoticed.
"Katie can serve a great ball and she is going to compete and play hard," said Duke head coach Robbie Church. "There's no excuses from her and she is coachable. Her teammates recognized this in her, too."
"From the moment Katie came her freshman year, she has made this program better and has improved tremendously as a player," saidnCosme. "She is coachable, wants to get better everyday, gives her all in everything she does and makes everyone around her want to work harder. "
A North Carolina native, Groff had her eyes set on Duke from an early age.
"I grew up a Duke fan," said Groff. "Both of my parents and grandparents went here, so I was definitely born a Blue Devil."
Groff grew up in Raleigh, where she played for CASL (now NCFC Youth) as well as the NC Courage Girls Development Academy. Being local has come with a huge perk - her family has been able to support her at games:
"They can come to pretty much every home game, even some of the away games in the ACC," said Groff.
One member of the family however, stays at home: their pig, Stewie. An unconventional pet, Stewie has been happily living with the Groff's for nearly a decade now.
"He was this cute 7-pound little piglet, who was supposed to grow to be 20 pounds … and here we are, nine years later, at 200 pounds," said Groff.
Though proximity to her family has been a plus for Groff, it is far from the only reason she chose Duke.
"I was looking for a school that was as competitive academically as it was for soccer," said Groff. "Duke happened to be a perfect match."
A psychology major, Groff is on the Pre-Med route and has to be as disciplined in the classroom as she is on the field. Following a successful academic career in high school, Groff has continued to thrive at Duke and made both the 2021 & 2022 ACC Honor Roll.
"Katie is everything you want in one of your student-athletes," said Church. "She's very, very good in the classroom and is a lot of fun to be around. So, we're very fortunate to have Katie in our program and she is a huge part of our program."
Though today the Blue Devils can't imagine their defensive line without Groff's leadership and skill, there was a long period of her soccer career when she didn't even play defense.
"I was a midfielder for a while and then at one camp in late middle school they didn't have enough defenders, so I said I could jump in," said Groff. "I realized that I think defensively - I am more of that kind of player."
Years later, Groff knows that it was the right choice and now feels completely at home in the defense line.
"I don't really know what it feels like to score," said Groff. "I'm sure it's a great feeling, but for me I get that rush of excitement and just start buzzing when I make a clean tackle, or win a header over someone else. Those little defensive plays that don't get a lot of recognition are now one of my favorite parts of the game."
Groff's contributions to the program over the years have been undeniably essential. Over the past few seasons, Duke soccer fans have watched the player grow into one of our most important defensive powerhouses. The Blue Devils are lucky to have her strong presence, and as the team looks forward to concluding the regular season and heading into tournament play. One thing's for certain: Groff's leadership and talent will no doubt continue to be crucial contributors to the team's success.
#GoDuke
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