The Clemson volleyball team is well into its season, and with ACC matches underway, one of the Tigers’ top players is optimistic about her record-breaking performances, as well as the Tigers giving it their all on the court.
Camryn Hannah has a career-high mark of four kills per set, on top of eight total assists on the season. Defensively, she holds 44 digs thus far in the season.
Yet, for Hannah, “each match is an opportunity to create a new record.”
“I find that I play better when I have a numeric goal to strive for,” Hannah said. “I feel as though if I’m aiming to play better each game, it will be contagious across the team, and that raises the group level of play.”
The junior right outside/outside hitter currently boasts 220 kills for a 0.279 attack percentage, the highest of any Clemson player.
The 6-foot-2 Illinois native is ranked third in the ACC for kills and total earned points, in which she holds 243.5.
As for the overall NCAA DI Volleyball rankings, Hannah sits at No. 21 in total kills as of Tuesday.
However, Hannah is staying humble, always looking to improve and not letting the numbers get to her. To help ease herself, she credits her team.
“I do find that it is stressful to continuously perform at a high level, but I find comfort in knowing that my teammates and my coaches will always believe in me, even when I may not,” she said.
“In tough matches, I know that my team looks to me to see what my emotion is, and because of that, I can never let my emotions get the best of me. Once I learned how to control my outward emotions for my teammates, it became a lot easier to play with a smile and not stress about the errors.”
As a team, the Tigers are currently 9-5 on the season and dropped their ACC opener against Virginia Tech in five sets.
So far, the Tigers have faced Virginia Tech and Wake Forest in their ACC series and will face Louisville on Friday. The Tigers are now 0-2 in their 2022 conference matches.
Clemson volleyball has previously struggled in the high-performing ACC. In 2021, the Tigers’ record was just 3-15 against conference opponents, achieving an overall 12-18 record on the season.
Backed by a new assistant head coach, Dan O’Keefe, second-year head coach Jackie Simpson Kirr, and a roster of seven new players, Hannah thinks “this is one of the best volleyball teams Clemson has ever had.”
“One strength that Clemson Volleyball has always had is that we are all extremely competitive, and that is so crucial because of where the ACC conference is heading,” Hannah said.
The ACC had four teams in the semi-finals of the NCAA Volleyball tournament in 2021, showcasing how competitive the conference truly is in this sport.
Hannah added that she and the team want to develop communication through constructive criticism on and off the court to build fluidity within the team. With each member of the Tigers striving towards a common goal of being successful, Hannah believes that individuality can still shine through once they work cohesively.
When asked where she hopes to see herself and the rest of the team by the end of the season, she put it simply: “That’s easy; I hope to see us in the NCAA tournament.”
Hannah and the rest of the volleyball team will travel on the road to Louisville and then Notre Dame this weekend but will be back at Jervey Gym on Oct. 7 to challenge Pittsburgh.
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Hannah looking to continue to break records with Clemson volleyball
Kiley Bouchard, Senior Reporter
September 29, 2022
Aralynn Minnick, Asst. Photo Editor
Clemson right side/outside hitter Camryn Hannah serves against Louisiana Tech in Jervey Gym on Aug. 27, 2022.
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