Hill shining in senior season

Veteran outfielder is making the most of her final year with USD softball

Anderson Haigler | Sports Editor | The USD Vista

In her softball career at the University of San Diego, senior outfielder Kailey Hill has had no shortage of memorable moments or accomplishments. A career .308 hitter, she has enjoyed consistent success for the Toreros dating back to her prolific first-year season at USD. This year, as she makes her way through what will be her final season as a Torero, Hill has shown no signs of letting up. 

Batting .306 thus far, she paced her team with 33 RBIs and six home runs. But as USD (25-21, 4-5 WCC) makes their way through the remainder of the schedule, where only West Coast Conference games remain, Hill plans to keep her focus where it has always been — on her team.

A native of nearby Ramona, Calif., Hill became accustomed to a high level of competition on the softball diamond from a young age, as she grew up in a region that featured top athletes.

“Just having that challenge of competing with top schools with select players, it was really fun,” Hill said.

After high school, she elected to stay close to home — a decision that just felt natural to her.

“I just kind of felt at home here at USD right when I visited,” Hill said. “Visiting the campus at USD, and seeing how beautiful it was, that kinda was my giveaway.”

Nearly four years after she made that decision, Hill has had a season that is among her best so far. For Hill, her success this season has all been a matter of perspective.

“My approach going into this year has kind of just been trying to have fun with it,” Hill said. “Not thinking too much up on the plate, and just enjoying my time here at USD and being on the softball team, because it is my senior year, and it’s my last year probably playing softball competitively. So I’ve definitely been taking the approach of having fun with it, and enjoying every moment.”

USD softball head coach Melissa McElvain spoke about what Hill’s presence has meant to the Toreros over the course of her career.

“Kay Hill, she’s such a hard worker,” McElvain said. “She’s been easy to coach because there’s not issues with her. She comes to the field, she works hard, she takes care of business. She’s a good teammate, and she’s very talented. You see her numbers over her career, she’s just been solid for us.”

Being one of only three seniors on a relatively young Torero team, Hill said that she sees herself in a leadership role as she makes her way through her final year in a USD uniform.

“I definitely feel like a leader on the team,” Hill said. “I try to lead by example, just getting to practice early, putting in extra work outside of practice, just showing my teammates to put in that extra effort. Just being that open ear to people, letting them know that they can come talk to me whenever they want, just being friendly and reaching out to everyone on my team.”

Hill’s emphasis on friendliness and chemistry within the team comes from personal experience. She recalled her own interactions — and challenges — with teammates as a younger player, and how that influenced her leadership style.

“My message to the younger players is just don’t be afraid to make friends with the older girls,” Hill said. “Because when I was a freshman, there was definitely that kind of barrier between the seniors and the freshman, just feeling kind of nervous and scared to reach out and hangout with them. But honestly, the seniors are no different than the freshmen, and everyone is definitely capable of being close friends throughout the season.” 

McElvain shared her point of view on Hill’s leadership.

“I think her style of leadership is just to lead by example,” “She’s easygoing, she’s fun-loving, all the players love her. She definitely has a connection with all of her teammates.”

As a team, the Toreros have certainly exhibited a sense of chemistry. According to Hill, that chemistry has been a factor in the team’s success so far.

“I definitely think the chemistry on this team has been the best that I’ve ever seen here at USD,” Hill said. “We all get along on and off the field — like we’re all close friends, and I think that plays a big part of us performing on the field. Just being comfortable with your teammates, and being able to joke around and have fun but also compete is definitely a big thing. Just having that chemistry, and confidence with each other has definitely projected on the field. And our performance has been the best that I’ve seen for a long time, since freshman year at least.”

Off to a hot, 4-2 start to WCC play that has seen them win series against both Saint Mary’s College and Santa Clara University, Kailey said that she and her team have their sights set high for the rest of the season.

“Our mindset is definitely confidence in taking this conference,” Hill said. “Because we are probably one of the best teams I have seen here at USD, if not the best. And everyone is just fired up to take these series, and hopefully take a WCC championship.” 

Hill has been a large part of the Toreros run at a conference title. McElvain explained the role that Hill has played down the stretch for USD.

“She has a huge presence in our lineup,” McElvain said. “I think teams are worried about pitching to her, I think they’re working around her quite a bit. But whether they pitch to her or not, she absolutely still has a presence, and you can just see that the pitcher, or the opposing coach is just counting down, like ‘Oh man, we gotta get the bottom of the lineup out because we don’t want to turn over the lineup and get to Kay Hill any quicker.’ The other team’s definitely have a fear factor towards her, but when they have to throw to her, she’s driving in runs for us. Our WCC opponents, they’re probably excited for her to graduate, they’re tired of facing her, because she’s such a strong player for us.”

As Hill’s coach for all four years of her career at USD, McElvain stated that she has seen her mature as a player.

“I think she just has become more determined as far as overcoming adversity,” McElvain said. “Little things don’t get to her. The best example I can think of is if she gets out, or strikes out. She doesn’t dwell on it, or let it affect the rest of her game, she realizes that short-term memory-type of mindset, and she just learns from it. Before, maybe as a freshman, she might be a little rattled by an out like that and let it affect the rest of her game. But now, she moves past it, she moves forward, and has a better short-term memory.”

The Toreros’ goal of a WCC championship represents an accolade that USD has yet to capture in their time in the West Coast Conference. For Hill and the rest of the Toreros, though, that only adds to their resolve. 

“(Winning a WCC championship) has definitely been the goal since day one,” Hill said. “We’re so fired up to achieve this goal, and kinda end my senior year with a bang.” 

While Hill’s career at USD winds down, she said that she hopes to leave a legacy of being a model player once she is done playing.

“The time I’ve had here at USD has been probably the best times of my life,” Hill said. “Just being able to compete here on the softball team, and show pride in the city that I grew up in has definitely been one of my greatest goals to achieve. As far as leaving a legacy, just being able to be an example of the ideal student-athlete, and working hard, and just enjoying my time here.”

Hill’s appreciation of her time at USD is matched only by her coach’s appreciation for what she’s contributed to the program.

“She’s local, she’s from San Diego, she’s been a great student, she’s been a great teammate, and not just a great hitter and a great player,” McElvain said. She’s been a good person, and a positive contributor to USD softball.”

In her four years at USD, Hill has had an illustrious career for the Toreros. With her at the center of the team’s success this season, the Toreros seem well-equipped to make a run at their ultimate goal of a WCC championship. 

Kailey Hill and the USD softball team return home for a series against LMU this weekend on Saturday, April 28 at 12 p.m.