Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Blue Raider volleyball looks to take another step in 2021
8/17/2021 6:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn.— Having made it to postseason play in back-to-back seasons, the Middle Tennessee volleyball team is eager to take another step in the Fall 2021 season.
The Blue Raiders were able to return to the Conference USA tournament for the second time in a row last season but were once again upended in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. While the team has struggled to earn a higher seed for the C-USA postseason tournament, it has certainly been a bright spot for Head Coach Chuck Crawford's young team to put together a couple of consistent seasons and return to postseason play.
Offensively, Middle Tennessee will look for Samira Lawson Body and Kayla Henley to expand on their excellent play from a season ago. Lawson Body and Henley were both in the top third of the team in kills and the pairing each averaged over 3.0 points per set last season.
"Last year came with a great deal of adversity and we had to learn and adapt to a lot of things," Henley said. "Just that alone was pretty tough. We all stuck together though and didn't crumble. We all grew together as a team, and I think I did a lot personally, as well."
Although they lost All-Conference USA Freshman honoree, Amelia Van Der Werff, Henley's versatility and ability to contribute both offensively and defensively have her primed to take a big step forward. Last season, the redshirt sophomore was second on the team with 15 aces and 41 blocks, while also being third on the team with 150 kills and 117 digs. Henley's 3.06 points per set in conference play led the Blue Raiders.
"I think that this year I really want to make sure I continue helping as a leader both on and off the court," Henley said. "I want to be there for the team when they need me because they're always here when I need them. Being consistent and being a good teammate is what I think my teammates need from me this season."
Lawson Body led the team with 161 kills and 2.56 kills per set, and her 2.82 points per set were good for third on the team.
Lawson Body's classmate Emma Grever, who provided quality minutes in 2020, will look to take on a larger role in 2021, gaining more minutes at outside hitter for the Blue Raiders. Graduate student Urte Neimantaite looks to get back to what she did in 2019, as one of the better players in all of C-USA.
Along the back row, the Blue Raiders return a strong pairing in defensive specialist Marley Banton and setter Taylor Eisert.
Eisert, who was one of the team's top freshman performers in 2020, led the team with 609 assists and was second with 131 digs last season. Her 9.52 assists per set were good for 10th all-time for a single season mark in Blue Raider history and her .337 hitting percentage led the team.
Banton will enter her third season as a foundational piece of the defensive unit in 2021. Her 31 service aces led the Blue Raiders and her 71 assists were good enough for second on the team. She was among the top players nationally this past season when it came to aces, as the Florida native was ranked 27th nationally in both aces and aces per set.
"Even though some of us are younger, we were able to get good experience last year and that alone is going to help us rebuild," Henley said. "Our freshman setter (Eisert), who is now a sophomore, has had a whole year of experience with the college game. Stuff like that alone will help us rebuild, especially as we help some of the new players coming in as they transition into the faster-paced college game."
With another year under their belts, this young but experienced Middle Tennessee volleyball squad is eager to do some damage. Having been to the C-USA tournament for the past two years in a row, this group is ready to take the next step and string together a few postseason wins and challenge for a conference title.
"As a team, we've made the conference tournament the past two seasons, so I think that we've been able to set that as the standard now," Henley said. "I think the next step for us now is to not only get into the conference tournament, but to compete and win some ballgames. The goal for us is to get to the conference tournament and get into some of the later rounds. When we do that, I think it'll give us a great sense of accomplishment."
The Blue Raiders open their regular season at the Jacksonville State Tournament Friday, Aug. 27 where they are slated to play Alabama State, and then Gardner-Webb University and host, Jacksonville State, the following day.
The Blue Raiders were able to return to the Conference USA tournament for the second time in a row last season but were once again upended in the quarterfinal round of the tournament. While the team has struggled to earn a higher seed for the C-USA postseason tournament, it has certainly been a bright spot for Head Coach Chuck Crawford's young team to put together a couple of consistent seasons and return to postseason play.
Offensively, Middle Tennessee will look for Samira Lawson Body and Kayla Henley to expand on their excellent play from a season ago. Lawson Body and Henley were both in the top third of the team in kills and the pairing each averaged over 3.0 points per set last season.
"Last year came with a great deal of adversity and we had to learn and adapt to a lot of things," Henley said. "Just that alone was pretty tough. We all stuck together though and didn't crumble. We all grew together as a team, and I think I did a lot personally, as well."
Although they lost All-Conference USA Freshman honoree, Amelia Van Der Werff, Henley's versatility and ability to contribute both offensively and defensively have her primed to take a big step forward. Last season, the redshirt sophomore was second on the team with 15 aces and 41 blocks, while also being third on the team with 150 kills and 117 digs. Henley's 3.06 points per set in conference play led the Blue Raiders.
"I think that this year I really want to make sure I continue helping as a leader both on and off the court," Henley said. "I want to be there for the team when they need me because they're always here when I need them. Being consistent and being a good teammate is what I think my teammates need from me this season."
Lawson Body led the team with 161 kills and 2.56 kills per set, and her 2.82 points per set were good for third on the team.
Lawson Body's classmate Emma Grever, who provided quality minutes in 2020, will look to take on a larger role in 2021, gaining more minutes at outside hitter for the Blue Raiders. Graduate student Urte Neimantaite looks to get back to what she did in 2019, as one of the better players in all of C-USA.
Along the back row, the Blue Raiders return a strong pairing in defensive specialist Marley Banton and setter Taylor Eisert.
Eisert, who was one of the team's top freshman performers in 2020, led the team with 609 assists and was second with 131 digs last season. Her 9.52 assists per set were good for 10th all-time for a single season mark in Blue Raider history and her .337 hitting percentage led the team.
Banton will enter her third season as a foundational piece of the defensive unit in 2021. Her 31 service aces led the Blue Raiders and her 71 assists were good enough for second on the team. She was among the top players nationally this past season when it came to aces, as the Florida native was ranked 27th nationally in both aces and aces per set.
"Even though some of us are younger, we were able to get good experience last year and that alone is going to help us rebuild," Henley said. "Our freshman setter (Eisert), who is now a sophomore, has had a whole year of experience with the college game. Stuff like that alone will help us rebuild, especially as we help some of the new players coming in as they transition into the faster-paced college game."
With another year under their belts, this young but experienced Middle Tennessee volleyball squad is eager to do some damage. Having been to the C-USA tournament for the past two years in a row, this group is ready to take the next step and string together a few postseason wins and challenge for a conference title.
"As a team, we've made the conference tournament the past two seasons, so I think that we've been able to set that as the standard now," Henley said. "I think the next step for us now is to not only get into the conference tournament, but to compete and win some ballgames. The goal for us is to get to the conference tournament and get into some of the later rounds. When we do that, I think it'll give us a great sense of accomplishment."
The Blue Raiders open their regular season at the Jacksonville State Tournament Friday, Aug. 27 where they are slated to play Alabama State, and then Gardner-Webb University and host, Jacksonville State, the following day.
Players Mentioned
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