Rob Patrick expected several freshmen to play a significant role for his Tennessee volleyball team this year, but the play of one freshman in particular has surpassed his expectations.
Kendra Turner flew a little under the radar when she signed with the Lady Vols, but halfway through the season, she has established herself as one of Tennessee’s most dangerous offensive weapons.
“She’s been a surprise for us,” Patrick said. “The level she played at in high school wasn’t as high as maybe some of the other levels around the country. It’s been a surprise that she’s been able to come in and adapt to the speed of the college game and the physicality of the college game.”
The 6-foot-1 LaPlace, Louisiana, native has helped fill a void offensively for the Lady Vols, racking up 113 kills so far this year, which is good for second on the team behind sophomore Jamie Lea.
Turner feels she has “adjusted well” to playing volleyball at the collegiate level, but even she didn’t think she would have this big an impact coming into her first season at UT.
“I didn’t expect to play right away at first.” Turner said. “But when I was in the first couple practices, I thought ‘I can improve my game enough to go out and start,’ and I did it.”
Playing a significant role as a freshman can be difficult at any level, but to do it in one of the nation’s toughest conferences in the SEC is even more impressive.
Finishing plays is something the Lady Vols have struggled with over the past couple of years, and to be able to add a player who can so young in her career has been a great asset for this Tennessee team.
“She gets us kills,” Patrick said. “When you’re a freshman, that’s one of the hardest things to do as a hitter is go get kills against really good physical, SEC athletes. That’s something she’s been able to provide for us, and doing that with very few unforced errors. I’ve been very pleased with how she has been able to come in and help us in that manner.”
Not everything came easy at first, though. While Turner has been successful finishing plays for her team this year, the ability to pass the ball and set up her teammates has been a little bit more of a struggle.
“The biggest challenge was learning things passing wise,” Turner said. “And changing how I hit, I can’t hit like I used to do in high school. I’ve had to work much harder and transition into trying to hit over people or through their hands.”
The Lady Vols have struggled so far this season, but by playing so many freshman every game, they are hoping set themselves up for greater success in the years to come.
Tennessee is consistently playing five freshmen against some of the toughest competition in the nation, and are hoping that experience, will make them better players down the road.
“This is really gonna help all our underclassmen,” Turner said. “We have already lost all our nerves, and by this time next year, we are going to be dominating out there.”
