Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Freshmen Play Key Role in Herd's Resurgence
10/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - In the senior seasons for a quartet of Marshall volleyball players, they received a welcome boost from a freshman foursome.
"It definitely wouldn't be the same team without them," senior Cassie Weaver said.
Weaver is referring to Division I rookies Madelyn Cole, Madison Hill, Audrey Shannon and Jac'cara Walker.
Shannon has played in 81 sets, Cole 80, Hill 79 and Walker 76. Hill, a 6-foot-1 freshman from Rockwall, Texas, and Walker, a 5-10 freshman from Gainesville, Florida, have each been named the Conference USA Freshman of the Week twice this season.
The freshmen will continue to play a key role for Marshall (17-6, 6-2 Conference USA) in the twilight of the regular season. The Herd hosts C-USA leader No. 23 WKU (22-2, 9-0) on Friday night at 6 inside the Henderson Center, and then Florida Atlantic (12-10, 7-1) visits on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
WKU has won 13 consecutive matches. FAU has a winning streak at seven.
"I didn't know I was going to be playing this big of a role," Cole said, "but I was ready for it."
Marshall head coach Mitch Jacobs knew the freshmen could come in, play and complement the team he had in place, which includes seniors Weaver, Ally Kiekover, Allie Kellerman and Taylor Riedel.
"I knew they all came from good backgrounds, strong club backgrounds," Jacobs said. "Their teams relied on them to be good and I knew they understood what it took."
Walker is a one-time Mississippi State commitment who leads Marshall in kills per set (3.32). Walker has 252 kills in 21 matches (18 starts).
"Jac'cara is doing a great job of playing within the system and controlling the game at times," Jacobs said. "She's a very low-error player. She's brilliant with the ball."
Cole is an all-around player. The 5-10 native of Dallas, Texas came to Marshall to play with Hill, a longtime friend. Cole has 111 kills, 473 assists and 156 digs in 23 matches (17 starts).
"Madelyn is running half of the offense, sharing it with Kayla Simmons," Jacobs said. "Having a junior setter and a freshman setter is an interesting dynamic but those two are working wonderfully together.
"Madelyn plays all the way around because of her ability to play the front row, block, play defense and get us some points."
Hill has 188 kills and ranks No. 1 in Conference USA with a .456 hitting percentage.
"We do run an offense that spreads the net and Madison is very good in the middle of the net and it gives her some isolation," Jacobs said.
The seniors and freshmen have worked together to help Marshall to fourth place in C-USA with six matches remaining. The Herd is 5-0 on its home court with the league's top two teams headed to Huntington for two matches in a three-day span.
"I'm really competitive so I had really high expectations for myself," Walker said. "But I didn't think all three of us would have really big roles."
"It really helps having Kellerman and Cassie and (Kiekover) as role models and I hope we're like that," Walker said. "I see us getting 1,000 kills or 1,000 digs."
Walker reference to kills and digs is because Weaver, Kellerman and Kiekover have hit major career milestones. Kellerman has eclipsed 1,000 digs, Kiekover has more than 1,000 kills and Weaver has surpassed 1,000 in both categories.
That kind of climb up the record books takes a combination of talent and longevity, and the seniors see similar qualities in the group of freshmen who have been so valuable to the Herd this season.
"They have contributed more than we could have ever asked for," Kellerman said. "I think if they stay with it they could beat all of our records. It's going to be very exciting to watch."
