Volleyball Preview '22: Outside Hitters
Coach Cook's Thoughts On The 2022 Dawgs
UW Athletic Communications
8/20/2022
Claire Hoffman
Fifth-Year Senior
2021 Key Stats: 3.75 kills/set | .306 Att % | 0.39 aces/set | 2.05 digs/set
2021 Third Team All-America | 1,078 Career Kills (19th in UW history)
“Claire is a poster child for the kind of development we aspire to at Washington. It’s representative of how she goes about every day. Being steady, being durable, playing through tough moments. Certainly last year’s season really came together for her. I think our mindset here is how do we get the last few skills in place where we feel she still has space to grow--specifically her defense and her blocking--while still maintaining the things she does best: her receiving, her attacking, her serving. ‘Be great in every skill’ is a pretty high standard to give someone, and that’s something that Claire has earned, to be coached to that standard in every skill of the game. That’s where she’s at.”
Shannon Crenshaw
Fifth-Year Senior
2021 Key Stats: 46 kills | .309 Att % | 0.28 aces/set | 2.04 digs/set
“What role hasn’t Shannon succeeded in? She’s been given every kind of role and she’s met the demands of that role each time. Here again her senior year she’s a positionally flexible athlete. We’re not going to put any ceiling on what she does for us. We’re going to explore every single option on where she can be, as a pin attacker, as a defensive player, and I’m confident that wherever she settles, she’ll meet the demands of that role. That’s just who she’s become as an athlete.”
Dani Cole
Fifth-Year Senior (Medically Retiring)
“Unfortunately Dani won’t be able to compete medically this year, but she made the decision this summer that she wants to finish this thing out with the team. She’ll be with us every step of the way. She’s been a part of running practices, and will continue to have a big role. It's about showing the best of who we are, that our athletes are not conditionally committed, that we’re in it together from start to finish. I have a ton of respect for just the decision she’s made and how she wants her career to end. It really speaks to who we are as a program.”
Madi Endsley
Third-Year Sophomore
2021 Key Stats: 2.16 kills/set | .195 Att %
“Madi, the word that comes to mind is game-changer. The ability to change our offensive completely from any position she plays. Whether it’s outside or right side or out of the back row, you have to pay attention to her and if you don’t you’ll pay for it. The big decision is what role does she find herself in? How do we really play to her strengths at the net? She’s also someone who has developed into an outstanding server and a defensive player. There’s questions of where she’ll settle but there’s no question she’ll be scoring points.”
Emoni Bush
Third-Year Sophomore
2021 Key Stats: 2.21 kills/set | 0.59 blocks/set
“A full year last year in terms of what we asked Emoni to do, the stage she played on, the assignments she was given in matches, how she went about her summer with Team Canada. It’s been a full year of volleyball for her. She's someone that we’d like to see a substantial improvement in terms of consistency, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Still questions about where she’ll end up and how big her role will be. Similar to Madi Endsley another really impressive server, but where we use her, how much we use her, how consistent she can be, that’s maybe the story of her year.”
Audra Wilmes
Second-Year Redshirt Freshman
“Whenever I see Audra I see the future. She has two or three plays every practice that catch your attention and make you take note. Someone who can contribute for us right now and who’s going to have a big role moving forward in the future as a six rotation outside. I really enjoyed watching her compete in Europe quite a bit and get valuable experience. She gives us additional flexibility at the outside hitter position. She shows a high level of floor defense for a player her age. I thought she made the most of her redshirt season and now is going to start to build a career here.”
