Volleyball Preview: Liberos
Coach Cook's Thoughts On The 2020-21 Dawgs
1/19/2021
Emma Calle
Senior
2019 Key Stats: 6 aces in 33 sets
We don’t have a defensive player with more program experience than Emma Calle. Right now, she’s recovering from injury and with us on a limited basis. Our practices are noticeably better when she’s on the court. She’s as ready as ever to contribute as a server and back row defender.
She’s a more capable server now than ever before, and that’s a really important role to us. But every other part of her game has improved: her serve-receive, her defense, her out of system setting. She knows how practice is supposed to be run and people like that are very valuable. They’re often the difference in a well-run practice. I really like where she’s at. She’s at the highest level she’s been at from a skill perspective.
Sianna Houghton
Sophomore
2019 Key Stats: Appeared in 10 sets
“We threw her into the fire kind of early with not a lot of warning. Then there were certainly plenty of matches where I thought she could help us that she didn’t play in, because we had carved out roles, but I would have felt good throwing her in there to make some plays. Defense remains a very impressive skill for her; her ability to go to the floor and extend plays. She can dig some balls that nobody else can. But you’ve got to have a complete skill set and serve, and receive, and set, so we’ve spent a lot of time trying to develop those other parts of her game. A good, young player.”
Maeve Griffin
Freshman
"Maeve is in the middle of a recovery from knee surgery. I’m not sure I’ve seen a player attack their rehab process as feverishly since Carly DeHoog. Maeve has drive and presence and even on the sidelines makes us better.
“She’s a high-achiever in all areas of her life. She thrives in a high-performing environment. It’s been great having her here. She was serving the ball at a really high level before she got hurt. She’s going through a long rehab process, but she’s present, she’s at practice and part of the team. It can be hard for a young player to get injured early on in their career but she’s been handling it really well.”
