Charlotte 49ers volleyball is relying on returning and emerging leaders in 2024 to help mold together a squad featuring six freshmen and three transfers to pair with the eight returning players.
“I’m seeing a lot of physicality for sure,” said Head Coach Karen Weatherington. “Seeing a lot of chemistry that is coming together pretty quickly with a lot of new faces. But most of all, I’m seeing great leadership and great physical leadership from our returning players and great mental stuff, and that they really care about the details and what it takes to be successful. So it’s been a good blend so far.”
Returning veteran leadership
Graduate student middle blocker Lara Kretschmer and redshirt senior outside hitter Jessica Ricks are returning leaders who will play significant roles with the team this season as both anchor players and locker room leaders.
“I’m probably most impressed with Lara [Kretschmer} and Jessica [Ricks] because they have embraced this role and taken it up a step where they’re more vocal; they’re a lot more open about what they want to see,” said Weatherington. “We are really proud of them and their work, and it showed right away.”
Kretschmer was named to the AAC Preseason All-Conference team after a standout season in 2023, during which she played in 31 matches and 118 sets and recorded 265 kills, 32 service aces, and 143 total blocks.
In the 2023 season, Ricks played in 81 sets over 23 matches, recording 391 kills, 90 digs and 43 total blocks while being one of the steady and reliable players on the team, providing a calmness to the team.
Exhibition star set for significant role
Sophomore setter Lauren Nixon is in line to take a significant role on the team with the departure of former teammates Annika Thompson and Annika Wetterstrom. Nixon seems ready for the task and the opportunity to show what she can do.
“She’s [Nixon] got a lot of fire; she has a great volleyball IQ, and I think it’s been something that she shared but not been in a role to display that she knows, so on the court, she always kind of knows what’s happening, knows how to direct traffic,” said Weatherington. “She’s a great quarterback for our team. She outworks almost everybody all the time; she’s gotta get that every second ball so she stays just really steady when it’s time to step on the court. So that’s what we’ve seen in her. She’s just been a big impact.”
Nixon and freshman setter Maddie Stuesser are the only setters on the roster, so they both have major roles to play this season as Nixon leads the team while also getting Stuesser acclimated to collegiate volleyball.
“Great leader for our freshman setter,” said Weatnerington. “So those two trading time together and sharing time in that role. Lauren has just really stepped into it and kind of just said hey, here’s what we need, and here's where we need to go.”
Nixon showed out in the exhibition match vs. Emory & Henry, beginning the game with back-to-back aces serving the ball and ending the day with 10+ aces while making her presence known on the court, leading the Niners to win all five sets of the exhibition and showing off all the work put in during the offseason.
“I’m just trying to be the best leader for this team and one of the best setters on this team that I can be,” said Nixon. “We have great communication within our team; the passers are always trying their best to get me the best possible two or three pass that they can. My hitters work really well with me giving information. Then Maddie [Stuesser], the freshman setter, I love working with her, so it’s just a great group to be a part of.”
Strengths of the squad
Charlotte volleyball has seen an increase in serving capabilities and will look to use that as an advantage on the season while also providing a vast arsenal of attacking methods upfront.
“We are a much better serving team this year; we’re taking folks out of system, where we’re being aggressive at the in-line, but we’re also putting the ball in. So I think that’s going to be one of our big cues. Offensively, I think we have a little bit more diversity and physicality at the net, so I think you always have things gotta work on, and every coach is going to tell you ball control, but I thought we won the serve game really well.
Getting started down in Greenville
Charlotte begins the season playing in the Furman Invitational, where they will take on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV), Charleston Southern, and Furman on August 30 and 31. The season opener vs. UTRGV is at 10 a.m. Friday, August 30.
“We’re ready to get after it,” said Nixon. “I think we are all excited. We’ve all pretty much been here since July 1st, so it was a long summer, short but long at the same time. We had a good preseason; we’re ready to get out on the court and show everyone what we’ve been working on for the past two months.”
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