2017 VolleyMob National Player of the year Kelly Hunter, who both captained and set Nebraska to an NCAA title last season after losing 5 seniors, including significant contributors like the Rolfzen twins, has signed her first professional contract. Hunter will play next season with Beylikduzu in the Turkish Women’s Volleyball League, the top tier of professional volleyball in one of the top-ranked leagues in the world.
Last season, Beylikduzu finished 10th out of 12 teams in the Turkish League with just an 8-14 record. Their starting setter Arelya Karasoy ranked as just the 14th-best setter in the league (reminder: the league only has 12 starting setter positions) with a 26.19% setter efficiency. The league’s top setter, Ezgi Dilik, had a 42% setter efficiency rating.
Hunter will likely slide into an immediate starting role with the club.
She graduated last season with 4,125 career assists at Nebraska, which was the second-most in the history of the storied program; her 699 postseason assists are the most in school history, and in matches she started, the Huskers finished 16-1 in NCAA Tournament play. That’s the most wins and the best winning percentage by a starting setter in school history, and includes 2 NCAA Championships.
Hunter, along with outside hitter Mikaela Foecke, was named co-Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship.
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