(Photo: Christian Coates/WCSN)
Starting off the season ranked No. 25 and without libero Stephanie Preach, someone needed to fill in the spot that she left. Preach finished her career at ASU second on the all-time dig list with 2,010. There aren’t many people who can play with the same caliber as Preach, but head coach Jason Watson might have found the closest player to her.
Halle Harker is the one of the newcomers to the relatively seasoned 2014-2015 roster, along with setter Madison McDaniel and sophomore transfer defensive specialist Mia Mazon. Harker reigns from Bakersfield, California who was named First-Team All-Southwest Yosemite League, captain of her team, and dug 731 balls her senior year.
Nine matches into the season, Watson is impressed with the young libero.
“I think she is doing really well. She is a pretty special volleyball player,” Watson said. “I feel very fortunate to have her here. I think she can be something special.”
Joining the team as a true freshman, Harker has immediately jumped into the starting libero spot.
The libero runs the defense on the team, calling out who digs the ball, directing traffic on serve receive, and setting when the setter takes the first ball is demanding for any player, especially for a freshman. In Harker’s case, she is the only new player stepping into the starting lineup.
“The girls are awesome, they make me feel so welcome and part of the team. I feel like I’m fitting in well.” Harker said.
Although she is comfortable with her teammates, she has struggled some adjusting to the new environment that she plays in. Having to forget what she has been taught in high school and learning brand new technique from a different coach is challenging for the California-native.
As far as Harker’s concerns with herself, she has not shown it on the court. Harker has been solid for her first six matches with a total of seven service aces, 17 assists, and a team-high 117 digs.
However, despite Harker’s numbers being great for a starting freshman, she looks for improvement. Watson is helping Harker to improve her serve – not just the power and speed behind the ball – but to position her serve to hit certain areas on the court to make it difficult for her opponents to pass.
Another aspect of Harker’s game that is improving is her serve receive. Serve receive is one of the hardest aspects in all sports because of the intricacies that come with controlling a serve, but it is the libero’s job to be the best at that skill. Harker has to see where the ball traveling sooner, communicate with her teammates about who passes the ball, and to make sure she get’s her feet behind the ball and stopped to get the best pass possible.
One of Watson’s favorite aspects of Harker is her defensive ability. Not just that she digs a lot of balls, but that she digs them to an area which is easy for the setter to get to and gives the hitters a better ball to hit. When Harker gets a lot of digs, her teammates score points, and the Sun Devils win.
ASU started off the season ranked No. 25 but with an 8-1 start and a huge upset win over then-No.17 University of Hawaii, the Sun Devils are currently ranked No. 18. With an extremely tough Pac-12 conference with seven of the twelve teams ranked in the top 25, ASU has many challenges to overcome, but with an experienced team and a progressing Harker, the Sun Devils look to be a big force in the Pac-12.
ASU will host three matches at Wells Fargo Arena, their last matches before the conference schedule begins, and will play Colorado State, North Carolina Central and Pepperdine in the Residence Inn Invitational September 19-20.
You can reach Troy Lynch on Twitter @mrtroylynch
