Throughout the 2017 preseason, VolleyMob.com will be joined by guest writers from last year’s Top 25 teams as well as other award winners and All-Americans. These bloggers will give you an inside look at their teams, preseason training, team leadership and much more.
SMU opposite Katie Hegarty shares about the challenges of being a fifth-year player, her younger teammates and her excitement for the 2017 season. Hegarty was a first team All-American Athletic Conference and All-Southeast Region honoree. The Aztec, New Mexico, native racked up 461 kills, fifth all-time in a season at SMU and fifth among AAC players, averaging 3.81 kills per set while hitting at a .251 clip. Hegarty put down double-digit kills in 28 matches, tallied five double doubles and recorded the conference’s first triple-double with 22 kills, 12 digs and 10 blocks against Tulane.
SMU went 26-8 in 2016, including an 18-2 mark in the American Athletic Conference en route to its second straight league crown, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament second round. The Mustangs return Hegarty as well as the league’s Freshman of the Year Kendall Patterson, but must replace the conference’s Libero of the Year Morgan Heise. SMU has added five freshmen along with transfer Eva Linden and Hannah Hickman. The Mustangs received votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll.
Hegarty’s thoughts on the 2017 preseason and her team are below.
Here’s my take on my 5th preseason, this time as a graduate student.
This season, we are a completely new team. Not only did we welcome a new crew of freshmen, but we also gained some very solid transfers. This is a new dynamic for me, as I have always had my classmates with me for the past four seasons. This will be the first time that I step onto the court without the same three girls that I started my journey with. This has allowed me to form deeper bonds with the younger girls, and I’m excited to see the leadership that is blossoming within Kendall Patterson and Lexi Nordmann. I’m lucky enough to be able to have been a part of the building of this great program over the last few years, and I’m so thankful that I can use all of my experience to balance with the youth on my team. As a freshman I could never imagine that the decision to redshirt would bring me such excitement by my fifth year. However, I’m so incredibly excited for one more opportunity to get out on the court, while completing my graduate degree at the same time!
Katie
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