Lady Vols Volleyball Caroline Kerr media Aug. 28, 2024

Caroline you're one of the only really returning starters from a team that was very veteran last year what's have been building chemistry with the newcomers and where do you feel like you guys are going to the season yeah I think we've really embraced it I think it's nothing to shy away from and try and act like it's not a real thing I think we do have to grow some experience but I think we've embraced it in a way that's like we're going to use it to our advantage that we're young we're eager um and we're ready to go so I think we've really just turned it into a positive and looked at it as like this could be a really good Advantage for us um while using that experience from last year too to help us prepare having is it cubic or cubic cubic cubic having haen cubic come in from Nebraska a program that is so rich in volleyball history how do you see that kind of play out in her day-to-day mindset yeah I think without trying to make it Nebraska I don't think that's what we're going for but we obviously want to use that because that's somewhere we're trying to go as well and so she's brought in A New Perspective without trying to make it um a different program and so I think that's her um perspective has been so valuable um and accepted here because we obviously want to go where they have been um in a powerful historic program like theirs um and so we're happy to have her here because she's going to be a great tool for us how much does last year's run help you guys going into this season yeah I think last year's run was somewhere that none of us had been um and I think whether you played or you didn't play you figured out what it took to get there um and so we use everything we can while trying to also separate it from last year because at the end the to day this isn't last year's team um but we try to use as much as we have from that um to get us back there and hopefully further what do you hope to learn about the team in these first few matches before you guys get into conference what's kind of your goal with pretty challenging matches to start off hope to learn right away I hope to just learn that we're going to be in those tough moments and we're not going to back down from them I think it's winning is hard at this level and so being able just to persevere in those moments um instead of shying away from is what I'm hoping to see and I know what we can do um and so to be able to then hopefully again compete for championships in December we got to start strong with a great opening weekend um but I know we can do it and so just being able to persevere and be tough in those moments I think will be really important for us this weekend when you look at yourself two years ago registering that first year here last year taking over that starting position now really being a leader in kind of that veteran role just I guess where do you feel like you've grown the most to be able to take that on this year yeah I think I've just to try to expand myself I think going from just trying to learn how to survive last year to then using my experience I think it definitely looks different between all three years I've been here um but I think each year obviously we're trying to become the best version of ourselves to then help hopefully help our team um and so I just continue to try to expand my range as a leader as a player um and all of it and so I just keep trying to learn more and more because at the end of day I'm still also learning um but yeah I think my experiences both from Red Shing and being out there last year are going to help me make for a really good third year this year what do you think is the biggest thing you learned about yourself last year oo I learned that I can do it you know you know I didn't play at all my freshman year and so I was like maybe there were some times I'm like okay I got to do this for real um and I know I can do it and I can do it at a high level um so a lot of like confidence I say I think I when I know when I'm going out to the court what I'm going to get for myself um and that then is able to instill confidence and belief in my teammates um that they're going to get a high level for me um and so yeah so I really just take that like I can do it and I should have a lot of confidence when I go out there the addition of a program like Texas into the conference how much hard that make conference of that kind help with the this year yeah I mean I think we obviously like you said have a great non-conference and then it only adds to our uh SEC schedule which I mean last year I think eight teams from the SEC got in um that's only going to expand more I'm sure um and so I'm excited I think it really shows that SEC volleyball is at the top um and so it's it's an honor I think to for us to be able to compete day in and day out and with some of the best teams in the um country and so I'm excited I think it's really going to just boost our whole schedule as a whole top to bottom seeing volleyball whether it was uh indoor Beach men's women's at the Olympics how how proud did that make you feel it was really cool um actually I grew up in Champagne Illinois and so Jordan polter the starting Setter for the Olympic indoor team um was setting out there I was like well I grew up watching her um growing up as a little girl and so it was really cool to not only see her but be able to see girls from your own home country at the Olympics at the highest stage and do so well was really cool and so we watched a lot as a team um and yeah I I love seeing the sport grow and so it's really cool there you talked about your growth as leader but did you do anything the offseason to grow as a player beyond that like just do anything special go anywhere in camps or talk to anyone different to kind of evolve your game yeah I've been meeting with a sports coach I learning how to just expand myself as a leader and know when my team is going to need me whether that's as a voice as a player with experience what that was going to look like so I've definitely expanded myself on how my team's going to need me um because I absolutely want to do everything I can to make this team successful whatever that looks like and so using my experience as a red shirt as a starter last year and now going into my third year I I'm just trying to figure out and even talking with Eve more like when is this team going to need me how is this team going to need me and so I've definitely tried learning um just how to make this team the most successful team we can be something that stands out about Hayden is definitely her arm just the strength the talent she has there as a Setter just what's excited you about working with her so far and you know the player that you can see her becoming here yeah I think Beyond Hayden's physical Talent obviously she has a big arm but I think she's a great person I think she's a calm presence on the court I turned to Hayden I'm like okay we got someone with us um who's ready to go um and so I really enjoy being a teammate of Hayden um Beyond just like the physical skill um and I think that goes a long way having that balance um when you got the competitiveness the calmness you got of got all working together and so she's a great teammate to have on the court as well I think people really look to her for her presence how would you describe how your player coach relationship between you and Coach Eve has kind of developed through now your third season under her yeah I think the setting position itself is such a crucial position on the court it's like your lead and everything that's going on um and so beyond just like touching the ball the most and having to like direct our offense I think she trusts me out there and I trust that like if there's a tough conversation to be had that like I'm going to be there for it um and that I think that both and her both her and I are on the same page in terms of whatever's being said or whatever's being done in this moment is to be put the team first um and so ultimately I think I trust her and what her decisions are um and I'm just here to help assist that in terms of making this team better um and so I trust her a lot and I think that relationship's definitely grown um because she knows I'm doing everything I can as well