Carson-Newman Volleyball Setters and Liberos Position Preview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – As practice ramps up and the start of the 2021 Carson-Newman volleyball season is coming into focus, it is time to put a bow on the 2021 position previews for the Eagles with a glance at the setters and liberos with senior setter Taylor Rohr.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – As practice ramps up and the start of the 2021 Carson-Newman volleyball season is coming into focus, it is time to put a bow on the 2021 position previews for the Eagles with a glance at the setters and liberos with senior setter Taylor Rohr.
While the front line has several transitions to make, these two groups return their statistical leaders. In the 6-2 system, the Eagles will need to replace Madison Rademacher who wrapped up her career with 838 assists, 52 aces and 435 digs. In 80 career contests, she recorded 13 double-doubles with a dozen nights of at least 20 assists.
Rohr has become one of the most consistent setters in the conference over the last two seasons leading the Eagles in helpers over that span seeing her career tally rise to 1,223. In 69 total affairs, she has led C-N in assists 44 times including 10 of the 11 outings in the spring. The Windsor, Colo. native has eclipsed 20 assists on 32 occasions with six of those coming during the shortened campaign a year ago.
"I have become more confident in myself and in my team," Rohr said. "My team has been a huge part of [my success] hyping me up. I want to focus on keeping that confidence going into this season. I tell the underclassmen that it's free game and everyone is on an equal playing field. Play with confidence and don't be afraid to mess up because everybody messes up. That was a huge turning point for me personally – I'm not afraid to make a mistake."
Abbey Hildenbrand (Parker, Colo.) provides a key transfer for the club this season transferring from Louisiana Tech where she played in 75 matches and 266 total sets. For her college career she has 1,734 career assists, good for a 6.52 assists per set tally. She had 50 service aces and has picked up 557 digs for her collegiate career to date. There were two occasions in her career where she produced a career a high with 47 assists doing so in back-to-back five-set wins over Sam Houston State and Oral Roberts as a sophomore.
"It's really awesome to have someone like her," Rohr said. "It's really good to have the competition on the court because I think it pushes all of us to be better. I think it's really big to have her here this year."
Three other setters will compete for an opportunity to play with Cami Mincey (Jefferson City, Tenn.) returning for her sophomore year. Jordan Rambo (Kingwood, Texas) and Ella Gamble (Cullowhee, N.C.) are each freshman. Gamble graduated high school with a 4.4 GPA and dished out over 1,600 career assists.
While the libero spot consists of all freshman and sophomores, Hayden Barton (Hixson, Tenn.) was one of the top liberos in the SAC in the spring earning a slot on the all-freshman team. With 4.81 digs per set she ranked fourth in the league and her 202 total scoops were also good for fourth. She led the team in digs eight times with nine efforts in double figures including three with at least 20. The best outing of the came in a five-set win over Queens on March 5 where she produced 33 digs.
The rookie needed six career matches to produce her first career double-double of 22 digs and 10 assists in a five-set match at Mars Hill on March 20. She is the first libero since at least 2010 (as far as game logs go back) in program history to produce a double-double of any kind.
"Obviously losing Morgan [Ballard] was a really big loss," Rohr said. "Hayden did a really good job stepping up into the role and I feel like her leadership has grown. I feel like having that kind of season in the spring allowed her to get a feel on the court for this year."
McKenna Hall (Bristol, Tenn.) expects to play a larger role after seeing time in nine of the team's 11 matches during the spring season playing in 21 sets racking up 55 digs, 16 kills and three assists playing all six rotations at times during her rookie season.
Two true freshman join the fray in Cameron Batis (Joliet, Ill.) and Bennett McCombs (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.). McCombs continues a family legacy of athletes with her mother playing soccer at the College of Charleston and her father playing football at Air Force. She was a 2020 All-State honoree after leading her region with 603 digs.
The Eagles take flight for the first time in 2021 on Sept. 3 at the Convocation Center in Aiken, S.C. against UNC Pembroke at 3 p.m. in the first of two games on the opening day of the year. C-N's first home match comes a week later on Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. against Catawba.
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