2023 Volleyball position preview: outside and opposite hitters
To conclude the seasons position previews, Blake Cherry speaks on the work ethic and skills of the team as well as excitement for their season debut on Sept. 1. With only one recruit to the hitting lineup, six athletes will return to compete for time as an outside and opposite hitter.
Video: Blake Cherry Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - To conclude the season's position previews, Blake Cherry speaks on the work ethic and skills of the team as well as excitement for their season debut on Sept. 1. With only one recruit to the hitting lineup, six athletes will return to compete for time as an outside and opposite hitter.
"A lot of individual work has gone in this season." says Blake Cherry. "Im really excited for how we're looking right now and how we're gonna be this season, but pre-season isn't over so we're still working hard and making those connections."
During her 17 matches and 31 sets last season, Taylor Adams recorded six digs and 41 kills. She held a team-high for kills against Catawba on Oct. 1 with seven kills and a .500 percentage.
Sophomore Paige Bussom saw time in seven matches in 2022 collecting two digs and two kills in seven attempts at the net. She recorded her first collegiate kill against Francis Marion on Sept. 3.
Blake Cherry returns this season after leading the league last season in service aces with 52, ranking her 44th nationally. She earned third team All-SAC honors as well as a defensive player of the week laurel on Oct. 31. She recorded eight double-doubles as a sophomore, participating in every one of the 33 matches. Cherry marked a career high of four aces against UVA Wise on Sept. 17, a career high of 17 kills against Georgia college, and a career high of 28 digs against Mars Hill on Oct. 25.
The volleyball programs sole recruit offensively, Madison Fisher comes as a graduate transfer from University of West Alabama. Playing all four years, Fisher recorded 420 kills, 412 digs, and 59 service aces. She made the 2020 Panhandle first-team all-conference, the FCSAA all academic first team from 2019-2020, the GSC from 2020-2022. She was also named UWA's scholar athlete in 2022.
"Madison brings a ton of experience being a grad and playing for the four years that she's played. She's really hard working and pushes all of our outside and pins to be better" says teammate Blake Cherry.
On the right side of the court, opposite hitter Molly Langford saw action in 22 matches and 51 sets as a freshman, notching 69 kills on the season. She made her career debut against Christian Brothers on Aug. 27, recording a pair of kills on four swings at the net. Langford produced a season high of eight kills versus Newberry on Sept. 23.
Calla Shotwell begins her second year at Carson-Newman, however was unable to compete last season due to NCAA transfer rules.
The second All-American in Carson-Newman volleyball history, Julia Wheeler, begins her final season as an Eagle. Last season she was named to the all-SAC first-team, earned SAC offensive player of the week on three separate occasions, ranked nationally in kills per set, points per set, and total points scored with 504. Wheeler is one to watch this year to break the school record of total kills in one season.
