VIDEO: Hayden Barton Interview
ROCK HILL, S.C. – After earning All-South Atlantic Conference laurels during the shortened spring 2021 season, libero Hayden Barton and opposite Erin Edwards were named to the second-team preseason unit announced by the league on Tuesday.
For the fourth year in a row, the Eagles have multiple players selected prior to the year. Players from seven teams in the conference were given preseason honors with six of the seven producing at least a pair of athletes.
"It's an honor but going in with confidence and continuing to trust my teammates is key," Barton said. "I am excited for that but knowing that I am out there to have a good time and my teammates will carry me through it, getting to have that leadership role and controlling what I can control will be the key to success this season."
After sitting out the 2019 season using her redshirt campaign, Barton became one of the top liberos in the league getting tabbed as an all-freshman team pick. The Hixson, Tenn. native was the ninth player in Mossy Creek lineage to be named an all-freshman selection and first since Megan Oldenburger in 2017. Four of the first eight later became a first- or second-team All-SAC pick.
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.
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.
Showcasing her skills outside of being a top defensive stalwart, Barton ranked fifth in the league in total aces with 15, good for a 0.36 average racking up a season-high three in three different outings.
"My freshman year was really good to learn from Morgan [Ballard] and the rest of the older girls," Barton said. "It definitely prepared me for last season. I think that having the older girl leadership helped me move into the role and step on the court with confidence."
Edwards earned a slot on the second team All-SAC unit for the second year in a row after being the SAC Tournament MVP in 2019 adding all-region and all-region tournament team selections as a junior. In her four seasons with the program, she has produced a .281 attack percentage, good for the fifth-best margin for a career in the history of the program. She has racked up 235 block assists to sit at No. 10 on the all-time list.
During the 2021 spring season, the Midlothian, Va. native had six matches with double-digit blasts to bring her career total to 33. She led the team in kills three times and in blocks on three occasions. Edwards posted a season-high 14 kills hitting .344 against Anderson on April 3 and backed that up with another dominant SAC Tournament performance with nine kills within a misfire and a .450 hitting margin in the quarterfinals against Limestone.
"These four years go by super fast," Edwards said. "Every opportunity that presents itself, we need to make the best of it. There's no need to hold back, leave everything on the court and whatever happens, happens."
The season starts in 10 days for coach Ashley Tiernan's troops as the Eagles start the year with four matches in two days at USC Aiken's Convocation Center. The first match of 2021 is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sept. 3 against UNC Pembroke.
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