SE: K-State Volleyball’s Carlson Bounces Back for Big Start to Season
Sep 25, 2019 | Volleyball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Last season was difficult for K-State volleyball's Brynn Carlson. It was frustrating, discouraging, unexpected and a whole host of other similar descriptions. But it was also beneficial.
Heading into the start of Big 12 play at TCU on Saturday, Carlson is K-State's leader in kills (173) and kills per set (3.26). She ranks third and sixth in the Big 12 in those respective categories.
A year ago, Carlson was nowhere near full strength. She missed her team's final 13 matches because of an illness and, eventually, received a medical redshirt to regain her sophomore season.
The two seasons, as different as they will ultimately read on her bio page, are connected.
"I definitely think I learned a lot about myself," the redshirt sophomore said of last season, "and also about different roles on the team."
Through the time she spent sidelined, Carlson said she connected better with everyone on the team. She learned to support her team in a different way as well.
"I gained a lot of perspective about being selfless and what it means to be a team player and make your team better, even if you might not be the one who's on the court. That, obviously, was a hard lesson to learn, especially because everyone wants to be playing to the best of their abilities, and when you're not, it's frustrating," Carlson said. "But I just tried to go in every day and do what I could to make my team better. Now that I'm healthy, I feel like I'm finally playing to my potential again and it's just been really great to see myself bounce back from that."
When Carlson returned to full strength, she said she did so with a "really intentional" mindset. This played out in a few different ways.
Carlson, a dietetics major, started using her growing knowledge in the field and that of K-State Athletics' nutrition staff to enhance how she's fueled and hydrated her body.
"I think that's been a big part of keeping myself healthy, as far as illnesses," Carlson said, "and also just giving me the opportunity to perform at the best of my abilities consistently."
During the offseason, in fall camp and even now, Carlson has entered practices with a narrowed focus. Each time she's stepped on the court, she's set her mind on one particular part of her game to work on. One day, it might be passing. The next, blocking. Each focus has specific nuances within it as well.
"I've been consistently going in, day in and day out, and trying to fix something small every single day, focusing on one specific aspect that I want to get better at in each practice and really trying to focus on that," she said. "I think I've taken that into practice, whether that's passing, hitting or blocking, and not trying to do too much but just trying to focus on one thing and get better one percent better every day. That's something we talk about a lot, joust trying to focus on one thing at a time."
One of those things, Carlson said, has been widening her offensive repertoire. K-State's coaching staff has worked a lot with her on it.
"A kill's a kill. It doesn't matter if it's a tip shot or you're smacking someone in the face. If you score, you score," she said. "I've really been intentional of making sure I do a good job of looking at the defense and the film that our coaches send out to us and talking with them about what I have open to score, making sure that I am looking at the block and am seeing what's open, and hitting the shots that are open when they're available to me and not just getting comfortable in one routine or one position. That's been something I've been working on in practice. That work has just paid off."
Carlson opened the season by being named to the Wolfpack Invitational All-Tournament Team. She has led or tied for the team lead in kills in seven of K-State's 12 matches this season. She's only put up less than 10 twice.
While last season set the stage for how she's played so far this year, Carlson said her coaches and teammates, especially fifth-year senior setter Sarah Dixon, have been essential as well.
"She is consistently putting me in situations where I can be successful," Carlson said of Dixon. "She's a huge part of it."
This summer, K-State's entire team read the book, "Legacy," by James Kerr. In it, there's a quote Carlson said K-State head coach Suzie Fritz loves to use.
"Pressure is a privilege," Carlson said. "I love that quote."
After K-State graduated two outside hitters last year and lost sophomore Brooke Heyne to a medical retirement before this season, this quote hit home for Carlson in a different way. Sure, she had to step up. But she looked at it as she got the chance to, which was all she ever wanted.
"It's been my dream to play Division I volleyball at such a high level since I was 14 years old. I have this opportunity to be part of our team success on the court, and it's really exciting for me," she said. "I've really enjoyed the challenge of having to be a bigger part of our offense. It's been a learning process, obviously, just like everything is, but I feel like I have really, really great support from my coaching staff, my teammates, my family. They've all been there to help me in whatever way they can to put me in a position to be the most successful. I'm just really thankful for my team and my coaches, especially for investing countless hours in practice and in film and doing all the little things to help me be successful.
"I would not be in the position where I am right now if it wasn't for all of that investment I received."
Last season was difficult for K-State volleyball's Brynn Carlson. It was frustrating, discouraging, unexpected and a whole host of other similar descriptions. But it was also beneficial.
Heading into the start of Big 12 play at TCU on Saturday, Carlson is K-State's leader in kills (173) and kills per set (3.26). She ranks third and sixth in the Big 12 in those respective categories.
A year ago, Carlson was nowhere near full strength. She missed her team's final 13 matches because of an illness and, eventually, received a medical redshirt to regain her sophomore season.
The two seasons, as different as they will ultimately read on her bio page, are connected.
"I definitely think I learned a lot about myself," the redshirt sophomore said of last season, "and also about different roles on the team."
Through the time she spent sidelined, Carlson said she connected better with everyone on the team. She learned to support her team in a different way as well.
"I gained a lot of perspective about being selfless and what it means to be a team player and make your team better, even if you might not be the one who's on the court. That, obviously, was a hard lesson to learn, especially because everyone wants to be playing to the best of their abilities, and when you're not, it's frustrating," Carlson said. "But I just tried to go in every day and do what I could to make my team better. Now that I'm healthy, I feel like I'm finally playing to my potential again and it's just been really great to see myself bounce back from that."
When Carlson returned to full strength, she said she did so with a "really intentional" mindset. This played out in a few different ways.
Carlson, a dietetics major, started using her growing knowledge in the field and that of K-State Athletics' nutrition staff to enhance how she's fueled and hydrated her body.
"I think that's been a big part of keeping myself healthy, as far as illnesses," Carlson said, "and also just giving me the opportunity to perform at the best of my abilities consistently."
During the offseason, in fall camp and even now, Carlson has entered practices with a narrowed focus. Each time she's stepped on the court, she's set her mind on one particular part of her game to work on. One day, it might be passing. The next, blocking. Each focus has specific nuances within it as well.
"I've been consistently going in, day in and day out, and trying to fix something small every single day, focusing on one specific aspect that I want to get better at in each practice and really trying to focus on that," she said. "I think I've taken that into practice, whether that's passing, hitting or blocking, and not trying to do too much but just trying to focus on one thing and get better one percent better every day. That's something we talk about a lot, joust trying to focus on one thing at a time."
One of those things, Carlson said, has been widening her offensive repertoire. K-State's coaching staff has worked a lot with her on it.
"A kill's a kill. It doesn't matter if it's a tip shot or you're smacking someone in the face. If you score, you score," she said. "I've really been intentional of making sure I do a good job of looking at the defense and the film that our coaches send out to us and talking with them about what I have open to score, making sure that I am looking at the block and am seeing what's open, and hitting the shots that are open when they're available to me and not just getting comfortable in one routine or one position. That's been something I've been working on in practice. That work has just paid off."
Carlson opened the season by being named to the Wolfpack Invitational All-Tournament Team. She has led or tied for the team lead in kills in seven of K-State's 12 matches this season. She's only put up less than 10 twice.
While last season set the stage for how she's played so far this year, Carlson said her coaches and teammates, especially fifth-year senior setter Sarah Dixon, have been essential as well.
"She is consistently putting me in situations where I can be successful," Carlson said of Dixon. "She's a huge part of it."
This summer, K-State's entire team read the book, "Legacy," by James Kerr. In it, there's a quote Carlson said K-State head coach Suzie Fritz loves to use.
"Pressure is a privilege," Carlson said. "I love that quote."
After K-State graduated two outside hitters last year and lost sophomore Brooke Heyne to a medical retirement before this season, this quote hit home for Carlson in a different way. Sure, she had to step up. But she looked at it as she got the chance to, which was all she ever wanted.
"It's been my dream to play Division I volleyball at such a high level since I was 14 years old. I have this opportunity to be part of our team success on the court, and it's really exciting for me," she said. "I've really enjoyed the challenge of having to be a bigger part of our offense. It's been a learning process, obviously, just like everything is, but I feel like I have really, really great support from my coaching staff, my teammates, my family. They've all been there to help me in whatever way they can to put me in a position to be the most successful. I'm just really thankful for my team and my coaches, especially for investing countless hours in practice and in film and doing all the little things to help me be successful.
"I would not be in the position where I am right now if it wasn't for all of that investment I received."
Players Mentioned
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