Knights junior surpasses career benchmark
Robbinsville – The setter is perhaps the most important position on the volleyball floor – think of it as a quarterback.
You have to consider how someone likes to be set; which rotation is at your disposal; make sure you’re spot-on with your pass, each time; and most importantly, you have to process all of that in a matter of nanoseconds.
Talk about pressure.
But heading into her senior year, Ryn Hooper seems to have a handle on the responsibility – to the point that she has already entered four digits in the category of “assist” for her career.
An indiscreet pass to tie an Oct. 5 home match 7-7 with Andrews was officially the moment she reached 1,000 assists. The moment flew under the radar until after the match concluded and it was not until the semifinals of the Smoky Mountain Conference tournament against Cherokee on Oct. 16 that Hooper was smartened up.
“When the game stopped and Pam Bryant began speaking, the last thought I had was, ‘This is for me,’” Hooper explained. “I was thinking one of my other teammates was getting recognized like I had witnessed last season. I was very shocked, but also thrilled.”
After the match concluded, the Lady Knights presented Hooper with a poster to celebrate the milestone. Her sophomore year (the first on varsity) included 543 assists; the junior campaign saw 589 more get added to her resume, bringing the career tally to 1,132.
“Being a setter is definitely a lot harder than it looks,” Hooper pointed out. “This position is something that connects the play together: from the pass comes the set, then from the set comes the kill.
“From the outside looking on, I can definitely understand people’s different opinions. That’s a part of what makes me nervous, but at the end of the day I’m doing my best to glorify God in the sport that I love.”
Hooper has dabbled in other sports while growing up, but was drawn to volleyball from the first time she tried it.
“Softball was my day-one sport, but the second I played volleyball for the first time, I immediately fell in love with the sport,” said Hooper. “I love the environment and all the friendships I have made.”
She would need Robbinsville to put up points like never before her senior year to reach 2,000 assists; and with a cap on the possibilities of an outcome in volleyball, a push for 1,500 seems more reasonable. Along with defensive specialist/libero Suri Watty, Hooper is the only other player who will return to play her senior year with the Lady Knights in 2025.
“I honestly do not know what my senior season holds, but I am very excited to find out,” Hooper said. “I think we have the opportunity to go far.