Carson-Newman Volleyball Liberos Position Preview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The 2016 position previews begin for the Carson-Newman volleyball team with a look at the libero position. The lone seniors on the roster, Eileen Anderson (Pittstown, N.J.) and Taylor Lowe (Franklin, Tenn.) join the Eagle Sports Network to break down the group.
VIDEO: Eileen Anderson and Taylor Lowe Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The 2016 position previews begin for the Carson-Newman volleyball team with a look at the libero position. The lone seniors on the roster, Eileen Anderson (Pittstown, N.J.) and Taylor Lowe (Franklin, Tenn.) join the Eagle Sports Network to break down the group.
The duo will be playing for their third coach since stepping on Carson-Newman's campus in 2013 seeking a leadership role for the newcomers.
"It's not just a brand-new start for the freshman," Lowe said. "We are all freshman with a new start. Everyone's learning. No one really has a head start above anyone else. Everyone's on the same page and I think every day we are just working hard to learn a whole new system. We are seeing the results and good things from it. We are just working from hitting, blocking, digging – everything is different. Every day is a process but we are getting through it."
Lowe is the most experienced returning player as she has played in 100 total matches, nearly double the next closest teammate. The senior has the libero position locked down and has not relinquished the starting libero role since stepping onto campus.
Entering 2016, the Franklin, Tenn. native ranks fourth on the program's all-time list for career digs sitting at 1,553 looking up in the record books of Angelle Hayes, 2009-12, and her 1,959 scoops in third place.
The 2014 Southeast Region All-Tournament Team selection ranked fourth in the South Atlantic Conference in 2015 in total digs piling up 558. The best match of her career came on the biggest stage for the program as she Set a career-high and the school's NCAA Tournament match record with 39 digs in a four-set victory over Lenoir-Rhyne on Dec. 6, 2015 in the Southeast Region Championship match. Lowe has become a more vocal leader for the Eagles this year.
"I'm just trying to keep mentioning that in life you go through adversity," Lowe said. "This is just adversity for everyone because it's a whole new season, a whole new coaching staff from A-to-Z. I'm just really trying to keep everyone motivated even though we are going through new challenges and it's frustrating. Stay positive and we will get the results eventually."
Anderson is third on the roster in career matches played having seen time in 49 contests in her career. Serving has been her forte over the seasons having racked up a total of 20 service aces in 94 sets. Having been through the coaching changes, the senior is looking to solidify the culture of the Eagles.
"I think we are all really stepping up as motivators and leaders to keep everybody excited about this season," Anderson said. "This is how Carson-Newman volleyball is even with different coaches and different players. We are still the same as we have always been."
The third returnee of the position group is sophomore Hannah Robertson (Soddy Daisy, Tenn.) who was limited to just two sets in her rookie campaign after suffering a concussion early in the season.
Rounding out the position group is freshman Lexie Sczerba (Bridgeport, W.V.). The first-year athlete is one of six freshman on the roster.
"The team is getting along pretty well," Anderson said. "We went to Breakout in Knoxville which is this escape room where they lock you in a room and you have to find clues and get out. Everyone got along well. Everyone likes each other so far."
Sczerba was an All-County pick in high school and is a two-time state champion in track and field having been a part of a 4x200 relay team in 2014 and 2015.
The position previews continue Thursday when junior setter Anna Patton (Franklin, Tenn.), a second-team All-SAC pick in 2015, provides insight into the setters and the middles as the Eagles cruise toward the beginning of their 2016 campaign.
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