Kristin Seaton-Rambo was able to fly through the air, hang there for what seemed like minutes rather than seconds and hammer a volleyball to the floor.
That sheer athleticism is what helped the 6-foot two-sport standout garner the attention of college volleyball coaches across the country, in particular then-University of Arkansas coach Chris Poole, while at Fort Smith Northside.
“It reminded me of an athlete like a [Michael] Jordan that gets your attention,” said Poole, who now coaches at Florida State. “She just had an easy way of playing the game. That caught our eye first. But she had Florida and Big Ten teams looking at her, too.”
Editor's Note
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is looking back at the greatest high school athletes in its 12-county coverage area.
Seaton-Rambo at a glance
SPORT Volleyball
SCHOOL Fort Smith Northside
CREDENTIALS Earned all-conference and all-state honors at Fort Smith Northside and helped lead the Lady Bears to multiple conference titles and help them compete with crosstown rival Fort Smith Southside, which had established itself as a volleyball power. … Verbally committed to play at Arkansas as a sophomore in high school. … Overcame injuries from a horrific ATV accident to return to the court after a year off to finish her volleyball career with the Razorbacks.
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID “Literally, everyone thought my volleyball career was over. I had to learn to walk again. But I said ‘It’s not.’ A year later I touched 10 feet and I’m back in the game.”
He was impressed enough to offer her a scholarship as a high school sophomore with the thought she could help the Razorbacks win a Southeastern Conference championship. Seaton-Rambo enjoyed a solid freshman year at Arkansas, but a terrible ATV accident sidelined her for nearly a year.
She was still able to overcome some debilitating injuries to play the final three seasons of her Razorback career.
Former Northside coach Catherine Young saw her grow and mature firsthand from junior high all the way to high school.
“I had her for six years,” Young said. “We started from scratch in seventh grade. She was just a natural athlete. Once she got to where she could touch 10 feet that’s when the college coaches got really interested. That was the golden number for some reason. She got up to 10-3 I believe.”
Seaton-Rambo helped the Lady Bears compete with crosstown rival Fort Smith Southside, which had already established itself as a state power in volleyball.
Longtime Southside coach Steve Haaser marveled at her ability as an attacker.
“The term freak of nature comes to mind,” Haaser said. “She had tremendous spring in her legs. She could jump quickly and hit it straight down. She was outstanding.”
But as time passed every opponent knew about Seaton-Rambo, too, and she drew multiple defenders every match, Young said.
“They would almost always bring a double block and sometimes a triple,” Young said. “I had to go home and rack my brain to think about different ways to get her the ball.”
She acknowledged playing Southside in front of a packed house is something she’ll never forget. Rambo-Seaton’s Northside teams never advanced past the state semifinals, but the Lady Bears lost in the finals a year after she graduated in 2006.
“Those were some of my most memorable times from high school,” Seaton-Rambo said. “The gym was packed out for volleyball. That was awesome to be a part of.”
Another moment she won’t forget came on July 7, 2006, following her freshman year at Arkansas.
She and a friend were riding an all-terrain vehicle when it flipped and landed on top of her. Seaton-Rambo broke her pelvis in five places and broke three ribs.
“I was in ICU for three weeks,” Seaton-Rambo said. “I was in a regular room for a month. Literally, everyone thought my volleyball career was over. I had to learn to walk again. But I said ‘It’s not.’ A year later I touched 10 feet and I’m back in the game.”
Poole called it one of the most tragic incidents he’s been involved for a player during his long coaching career.
“We just didn’t know if she was going to be able to walk again much less play,” Poole said. “But she’s such a competitor, that’s what brought her back. I was so proud to see her finish.”
She acknowledged so many people who helped her get back on the court, but specifically Poole.
“I had lots of help, everybody at the U of A was there for me,” Seaton-Rambo said. “My coach Chris Poole believed in me. He wouldn’t give up on me.
“I kept playing, I graduated and did what I know I could do. Looking back on it now, I don’t know how I did it. It was just the fight and drive that I wasn’t going to let this defeat me.”