Headed in Different Directions: Life-Long friends, Mount Carmel teammates Traub, Killian make college choices
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
When they were growing up in New Orleans, and the impact of softball was becoming constant in their lives, Hayden Traub and Avery Killian attended LSU games with an eye toward their futures.
“We would think that this is going to be us one day,” Traub said. “We never really knew where we were going to go. We only knew big schools like LSU when we were younger. When we got older, there’s so many different options where we could play.”
Traub and Killian were friends when they became teammates at the age of 8 with the Louisiana Voodoo – the state’s top travel team – and nearly a decade later, neither of those relationships has waned. They’ve been cornerstones in the success of the Mount Carmel High program, which reached the Division I select semifinals last season, but when it came to reaching their next-level dreams, they each veered to different paths.
Killian, a standout catcher rated No. 13 nationally, signed with the University of Florida, while Traub, a utility player, signed with Nicholls State University during recent separate ceremonies at their school.
“It’s been a dream of mine to sign with Florida, and I’m blessed that it happened,” Killian said.
Killian said long-time Florida softball coach Tim Walton told her that she was his first Louisiana signee in his 19 seasons.
“That’s an honor, and I’m blessed to be a part of that program,” she said.
With a brother who attends the school, Traub said Nicholls was an obvious choice because of the distance from her home and the interest the program showed her.
“When I found out there would be an opportunity for me, it was eye-opening and felt this is where I’m supposed to be,” she said. “I have too many different connections there. Between the coaching staff and the girls that are there, I felt it was a perfect opportunity for me to play a sport that I love, somewhere that I also love.”
They both played key roles in Mount Carmel’s season, which ended with a 16-14 record.
The Cubs were on the verge of strong season midway through with a 14-4 record that included a 5-0 showing to win the District 9-5A championship for the first in eight years.
An injury to starting pitcher Paige Reuther contributed to a stretch where Mount Carmel lost its last 10 games of the regular season. The Cubs lost five one-run games during that span but maintained a healthy No. 6 seed for the postseason, where they registered a run-rule victory over Captain Shreve (13-3) in six innings and traveled to No. 3 Alexandria for a dramatic 11-9 quarterfinal triumph.
They were stopped by No. 2 St. Thomas More, 6-1, in the semifinals.
“She pitched many innings last year when we had an injury to one of our pitchers,” Mount Carmel softball coach Curtis Matthews said. “She was one of our main pitchers that came in and helped save the season.”
Traub, the team’s leading hitter also known for her glove work at shortstop and third, went 3-0 with a 3.90 earned run average, five complete games, and 21 strikeouts in 37.2 innings.
“When I found out Paige was not going to come back, I saw that as needing to work back into pitching because my team needed me,” Traub said. “I wanted to play shortstop, but I needed to look more at the view the team had. We were not going to win games without pitching. I went in with an open mind of working and making good for everyone on the team. I talked to Paige, and she gave me some inspiration because she knew I could do it.”
Since she was 5 years old, softball was a sport that came naturally to Killian and by the time she was 9, playing at the college level – in particular, the Southeastern Conference – had become an ambition.
“I wanted to play on TV and be that role model for the younger players,” she said. “I watched SEC teams play and loved the vibe about everything.”
The Voodoo provided the necessary training ground to reach that goal and Killian thrived during her time. She said by the time she was 12, the team began traveling to out-of-state tournaments in Alabama, Florida, and Texas, providing an increased level of competition.
Catching was always her natural position, while Killian displayed a strong arm.
“My coach put me at catcher when I was 9 and fell in love with it,” she said. “You could be the captain of the team, like the quarterback. You get to see the whole field, and I loved the feeling of being involved in every single play, and felt like I could be a game changer, a person who could make a difference.”
Killian enjoyed her first camp at Florida so much as a sophomore that she returned for two more that summer and developed an affinity for the program that Walton’s led to 1,028 victories, eight regular-season SEC titles, and two national championships.
When the Gators called Sept. 1 to offer her a scholarship, Killian had a pretty good idea where she was going to college.
“As soon as I stepped on campus, that’s where I knew I wanted to be, where I wanted to pursue my softball and academic career,” she said.
Killian switched travel teams this past year to the Georgia Impact, an opportunity she felt would benefit her game.
“They have a lot of D1 players that are good, and I felt like if I surrounded myself with that, they would push me to be better,” she said. “I went up against better pitching. I didn’t want to get to Florida and feel like I had to start over again. It felt like a one-up type of deal. I got ahead of the game and also caught better pitching with all of the movement and faster speeds.”
Killian’s part of Florida’s six-member signing class ranked No. 2 nationally.
“We have a really good freshman class,” she said. “I hope to be able to work my way up to the starting lineup and to get on the field, and the other girls in my class feel the same way, too.”
The bond Traub and Killian have shared has grown over the past three years of their high school careers.
“We’ve been together so long,” Traub said. “Our relationship with softball has become so normal. We’ll play from the time we were eight until we graduate. We’ve been able to watch each other grow because of that.”
Traub has been a member of Mount Carmel’s softball team since the eighth grade. She began as a designated player before taking on more responsibility and leadership over the past three years.
“I can’t ask for anything more,” Matthews said. “She’s a leader. She’ll be a captain for a second year. She leads on and off the field and has great grades. Just a great all-around girl.
“I can throw her in at third, second, and first; she’s an all-around utility player,” Matthews said. “She has one of the best attitudes on the team. She’s the first one to show, last one to go like Avery.”
Traub, a Class 5A All-State honorable mention selection last season, led the team in hitting for the second straight year with a .445 average. She also had a robust .714 slugging percentage with 14 doubles, six homers, 30 RBIs, and six stolen bases.
She was also solid in the field with a .907 fielding percentage, committing eight errors in 86 total chances.
“She’s trying to take the younger girls and mold them into what we do at Mount Carmel,” Matthews said.
Killian believes her knowledge of the game is among her best traits.
“I think a high IQ is important when it comes to the game because in certain situations it’s best to know what’s going on,” she said. “Being aware of who’s on the base, the positions they’re in, how their body’s set up. It helps you in the game so much.”
Matthews recalled seeing Killian for the first time at his camp as a 10-year-old and coming away impressed.
“I was fortunate to be part of a state championship team in 2017,” he said. “I watched their catchers, and when she came to our camps, I watched her arm strength. It was better than some of the catchers on our jayvee team. She came in as a ninth grader and threw the ball harder than anybody else, and has gotten stronger and stronger.”
Killian’s arm strength has played a major role in stopping opponents’ running games, Matthews said.
“The moment she steps behind the plate, she pretty much just shuts teams down,” he said. “Her presence back there changes the game. She’ll be the first one with a group of them, always wanting to stay and hit. She always wants to work, teaching other players how to catch. She’s dedicated to the sport.”
Killian, a five-year starter, has found herself hitting in the heart of Mount Carmel’s lineup throughout her career, which has included more than 100 hits. She batted .329 with a .575 slugging percentage, four homers, and 27 RBIs, and only two strikeouts in 106 plate appearances.
“She’s powerful,” Matthews said of Killian, a first-team Class 5A All-State choice by Sports Illustrated. “She’s a different kid. She’s an athlete.”
Killian was able to culminate her work by signing with Florida on Nov. 12.
“That day was probably one of the best days of my life,” she said. “I felt so proud of myself; all of my hard work had paid off. I also felt a sense of relief off my shoulders. Not that I can relax because I’m going to continue to work hard to prove to others that I can be the best. It felt surreal. Proud of all the hard work I put in.”
Traub figures to have a busy fall camp when she arrives at Nicholls. The Colonels have their sights on her playing second, shortstop or third base.
“I was set on pitching and playing the infield until I wanted to play infield in college,” she said.
Traub turned her August commitment into a binding signature during her signing ceremony at Mount Carmel.
“I loved having my family and friends there,” she said. “It was cool. All the spotlight’s on you. When I was watching her (Killian) sign, it was a realization that we actually did it. We’re not our 8U self anymore. We’ll be going to different colleges and not see each other play as much. It’s hard to realize that, and our signing days kind of solidified that.”
Matthews feels his 2026 team will have an opportunity to contend for a Division I select state title because of the team’s chemistry – a nod to the part Killian and Traub played when they first entered the program.
“When I took over in 2020, the main thing we focused on was whether you were an eighth grader or senior; we’re a team,” he said. “They have helped carry that over by accepting the younger girls. I know a lot of teams do it, but I really preach it, and we’ve changed the atmosphere of Mount Carmel softball since we took it over. I love how the girls have meshed and hung out together. They act like a family.”