Stewart Johnson
Thanks to a roster full of smart and talented go-to players, the Carroll volleyball team made their mark as a group that was willing to hustle and sweat their way through the 2021 season.
“I don't think we were always the most talented team or the biggest on the court, but we weren't going to let you just get a point off of something easy,” says Carroll volleyball coach Teresa Dunn, whose Lady Dragons posted a 26-17 record last fall. “You were going to have to earn every point that you got in the match.”
Defense and ball control were keys to success this season, and senior libero Audrey Kubiak embodied that effort. Kubiak tallied 1,011 digs to lead the nation for most of the 2021 season and led Carroll in serving 52 aces. Other senior leaders included outside hitter McKenzie Cutler (482 kills), middle blocker Courtney Darrah (105 blocks) and setter Jessica Dunn (1,347 assists).
Although Dunn admits her returning players have big shoes to fill with the seniors' departure, she believes her athletes are ready to put in the necessary effort.
“We learned that we hate losing in the third round,” she says of Carroll's playoff exit the last two seasons. “I feel like these kids are taking that chip on their shoulder into [the] offseason with an attitude of not wanting that to happen again.”
SEASON RECAP
They didn't boast a dominant record that would put them near the top of any national polls, but the Lady Dragons volleyball team carried battle scars and earned their stripes this past fall.
Carroll (26-17) finished third in District 4-6A, but battled highly-touted powerhouses in district champ Keller (32-13) and runner-up Northwest Eaton (37-4), ranked ninth and 19th in the nation respectively by “USA Today.” Once in the postseason, the Lady Dragons cruised past Weatherford (3-0 sweep) in bi-district and Midland Legacy (3-1) in the area round before meeting district foe Eaton in Round 3.
“It's kind of a daunting task to know we had to go against Eaton because they really have had our number,” says Carroll volleyball coach Teresa Dunn, whose team went 0-2 to Eaton in district. “By [set three], it was about who had the stamina to prolong the match, and ultimately it was [Eaton].”
Losing 3-1 ended the Lady Dragons' season, as Eaton went on to lose to Keller in the regional finals. Despite an exhausting season that saw Carroll finish strong with an 8-4 run through district after an 18-13 start, Dunn says her returning players were already making plans for next year.
“They were very much like, ‘Hey, can we get going now?’” she says. “They're very hungry to begin, and that's really exciting.”