By Andrea Emmons
The pressure of college is hard on anyone, let alone an incoming freshman student-athlete. On top of their new surroundings, tough classes and new found independence – they are competing for playing time, trying to fit into a new team and getting used to a whole new level of play. Almost every college sport regularly uses the “red-shirt” freshman option. It takes a while to get high school athletes up to college speed. That does not mean there aren’t exceptions to the rule. Several months into the college volleyball season, we have noticed some freshman athletes making BIG impacts for their college teams.
I had the pleasure of working with Erin Fleming (Orlando, FL) last year. Erin’s high school and club resume was hard to beat. She was an AVCA High School Senior All-American, Prepvolletyball.com H.M. All-American and 1st Team All-State pick. We were ecstatic when Erin chose the University of Florida as her college home. The Gators, currently ranked #5 in the AVCA Coaches Poll, have made use of their new talent. The 5’10’’ freshman has played in 49 out of 59 games already this season. She is averaging 1.84 digs per game, assisting her team to a 16-1 overall record.
Another freshman, Jacie Fiedler (Richmond, IL), is a middle hitter at Depaul University this year. Jacie, similar to Erin, was a highly recognized high school athlete. Jacie was a unanimous All-Conference pick during high school season, also earning All-Area as a senior. She was an All-American selection as well. Jacie is also making an impact all over the charts for the Blue Demons. Jacie has 235 kills, averaging 3.46 per game, with a .297 kill %. She is also holding steady as the second place stats leader in kills, kills per game, and blocks per game (.62). Jacie has played in 68/70 games so far her freshman season.
Some other notable performances go to Jenna Hart (Fordham), Amaris Genemaras (Tulane), Sarah Gildersleeve (Georgia Southern), Sandra Campbell (USC-Upstate), and Caroline Sedon (Appalachian State). All of the athletes above have been key performers so far this college season.
It’s important to remember that this is the reason everyone puts time and effort into the recruiting process. It is not so that you can tell your friends (parents you are included) about the great athletic scholarship offer. It is about the thrill of playing this outstanding sport and getting a great education. It’s about going above and beyond. So, “kudos” to all of the impact student-athletes on the court over the past few months. It is your commitment and drive that made it happen. You should give yourselves a pat on the back, you have accomplished a lot.
