September 16, 2015

There’s still more to go.

During the South Florida Invitational earlier this month, junior hitter Carly Kan exceeded the 1,000-point mark, a “rare” accomplishment for a player her age, coach Wayne Kreklow said.

In spite of her youth, the achievement was well-deserved in Kreklow’s eyes.

“I’m really happy because you like to see stuff like that happen to good people and Carly’s just such a great kid,” Kreklow said. “She works so hard and is such a conscious teammate. That’s what makes it special for us as coaches, when someone like that accomplishes those kinds of things.”

Kan, a player who came into college as a defensive specialist and was never meant to see the front row, currently leads the team in both kills and aces. However, her success goes far past the service line and the front row. She also currently has the second-most digs on the team, only junior libero Alexa Ethridge has more.

Although her significant numbers are important to the squad’s success, her teammates recognize a different aspect of Kan’s game that makes her the stand out player and leader of the team.

“I’ve played with some really good players, but I haven’t played with very many who carry themselves like Carly,” sophomore Kira Larson said. “She’s such a good leader on and off the court. She knows what to say and how to say it. I’ve played with good players, but they’re not always like that.”

Kan’s value exceeds the big numbers, ranging to her leadership, an element of her game she does “by example.” However, Kan attributes her accomplishment to her playing style and experience.

“I am a more steady player, I’m not really a rollercoaster. I like to stay at a certain level and hopefully fluctuate in-between those,” Kan said. “That has helped me a lot and the fact that I’ve been playing volleyball since I was six years old. That volleyball IQ has really helped me find where the better shots are in certain situations.”

Though Kan believes the 1,000-point mark is a “cool accomplishment,” she recognizes that it’s only the preseason and “there’s still more to go.” Rather than basking in her achievement, she wants to “focus on getting better and getting the team better.”

Although she is set on improvement, Kreklow recognizes there’s much more to come from Kan.

“She’s obviously one of the best that we’ve had come through here and I think she’s going to continue to set more records before she’s done,” Kreklow said.

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