Carson-Newman Volleyball Position Previews: The Defensive Specialists and Liberos
Carson-Newman returns all five of its defensive specialists and liberos, while adding two more freshmen.
VIDEO: DS/Libero Preview with McKenna Hall
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman returns all five of its defensive specialists and liberos, while adding two more freshmen.
The Eagles will certainly have depth in their back pocket as they prepare for the Union Volleyball Classic to open their season on Sept. 6. C-N returns all five of its liberos and defensive specialists from last season, and adds two more, both freshmen.
Among the returnees are Kara Brantley (Knoxville, Tenn.), McKenna Hall (Bristol, Wis.), Trinity Hafey (Grand Junction, Colo.), Bennett McCombs (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), and Cameron Batis (Joliet, Ill.).
Highlighting the returnees is Bennett McCombs who took a majority of the starts in 2023 wearing the different colored jersey. McCombs collected 318 digs last season for 3.21 digs per set. She will likely assume the starting role at Libero come the season opener against Missouri-St. Louis.
"That's totally up to coaches" senior McKenna Hall said. "All we can do is work our hardest, and hope that role lands in our place."
Hall begins her fifth season in Mossy Creek racking up 536 digs for an average of 1.96 digs per set across her Eagle career. Much of her talent showed at the service line, tied for the 2023 team lead with 28 including five in the Wingate match alone.
Hafey enters the interesting position of having her older sister, Truth, on the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. Without her sibling on the bench, Trinity found herself with 235 digs across 27 matches for an average of 2.83 digs per set.
Batis saw the court sparingly only getting on the floor in 13 matches for 26 sets total. In the limited time on the floor Batis accrued six service aces and nine digs on the season.
Brantley appeared in just one match in 2023, she recorded four kills on six attacks and no digs in the Bemidji State match.
The two freshmen to join the ranks are Claire Bolton (Morristown, Tenn.) and Caroline Kantner.
"This is definitely one of the better freshmen classes that we've seen all around the board" Hall said.
Bolton comes to Mossy Creek from just down the road in Morristown where she led the Morristown-Hamblen West Trojans to a district championship her senior season. Her family has a history with Carson-Newman with both her parents being alums and educators at the university.
Kantner comes to Jeff City from the Sunshine State. The native to St. Petersburg, Florida attended Spring Hill College, but did not see the court taking a redshirt prior to signing with C-N.
The defensive specialists and liberos will start serving up pancakes in Jackson, Tennessee at the Union Volleyball Classic starting Sept. 6 against Missouri-St. Louis.
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