Carson-Newman Volleyball Position Previews: Defensive Specialists and Liberos with Trinity Hafey
As the count down to the return of Carson-Newman volleyball ensues, it’s only fitting to get an inside look at the 2025-2026 Eagles volleyball roster. This is the first part in a series of position previews for Carson-Newman volleyball beginning with the defensive specialists and liberos.
VIDEO: Trinity Hafey Full Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - As the count down to the return of Carson-Newman volleyball ensues, it's only fitting to get an inside look at the 2025-2026 Eagles volleyball roster. This marks the first in a series of position previews for Carson-Newman volleyball beginning with the defensive specialists and liberos.
At the helm of the Eagles defense this season is junior captain Trinity Hafey, who will be taking up the starting libero duties from 2025 graduate Bennett McCombs. Hafey was an outstanding secondary defender for the Eagles in the 2024-2025 season, grabbing 272 digs in 97 sets. With 2.80 digs per set, Hafey was second on the team in that category. She says she is excited to see what she can provide for the Eagles this coming year.
"We had an older group last year, so we kind of could lead ourselves in a way. And this year, I think people lean a lot more on people who have been here so trying to be that consistent voice and holding myself accountable, because I'm holding everyone else accountable," she said.
The Eagles have a young but experienced group of DS/L players returning this season, with head coach Cat Collins welcoming six of her defensive players back to the floor. She also welcomed three new additions to the DS/L room this season with the likes of freshman Megan Rine, transfer from Dodge City Community College Madison Wallman, and transfer from UNC-Greensboro Avery Sziksai.
Leadership is going to be crucial for the development of this young group, and Hafey says that those who have come before her have shown her the way to be successful in leading this back row.
"I love looking at who has been successful in the past and trying to take little pieces from everybody and trying to replicate it obviously be my own but see what worked and what was successful and how people responded, and just try to make the best of all the worlds," she said.
While 17.26 digs per set is typically a high achieving mark for a defense, this landed them seventh in the SAC rankings. To put that in perspective, five teams in the conference were in the top 30 in all of Division II in digs per set with Mars Hill leading defenses across the nation in that category.
That won't stop the Eagles from being hungry to compete.
"I think our biggest strength as DS group is like we're all competing for the same spot, but we're also wanting nothing but success for each other," Hafey said. "We are each other's biggest hype man and biggest fans."
The Eagles serve receive will undergo a shuffle this season too. With the graduation of McCombs and fellow six-rotation outside hitter Blake Cherry, Hafey is the only returner to Carson-Newman's serve receive.
The back row was steady last year in receptions and errors, notching a 0.941 reception percentage. This slotted them fourth among SAC teams in serve receive.
"We focus a lot on our technique a lot more. We're always doing serve receive and breaking down the fundamentals. And we're always like, 'Hey, can you watch if I do this? Can you watch if I'm doing this?' And so we all are very knowledgeable," she said.
With the wisdom of former DS Cat Collins driving the ship, the Eagles are under steady guidance in the defensive department.
"We all can't wait for her to be back and coaching us again because she really does see the smallest things that we need to help be better," Hafey said. "She does give us the value that we sometimes don't get as defense specialists because we're not making the big kills, but she's values it and she sees it."
Hafey says that the defense this year will continue to be tone-setters, bringing the energy into all arenas this season.
"I'm biased, but as much of a like energy booster as getting a good kill is just getting a great dig. That all-out effort and just knowing that the people behind you got your back," she said. "Our short group in the weight room is always dancing and trying to just bring everybody's spirits up.
Carson-Newman volleyball returns to Holt Fieldhouse on September 19 at 7pm for the first time in 2025.
This is the first edition in a series of position previews for Eagles volleyball. The volleyball position previews will return on Monday, August 25 with the outside hitters.
