Kathryn Plummer AVCA Volleyball National Player of the Year
What’s better than winning the AVCA Volleyball National Player of the Year?
Winning it in consecutive years. That’s exactly what Kathryn Plummer accomplished, who is only the 4th player to earn this honor in consecutive years. Only a junior at Stanford, she was the best volleyball player in the NCAA for both 2017 and 2018. Her team found themselves in the final four. This All-American volleyball player is an outside hitter who stands at 6-foot-6. She has worked hard to earn her espn award.
In Plummer’s freshman season, the Cardinals took home the national title. After her first taste of victory, she told her father that she had wanted to win the championship every year. However in 2017 against Florida, her hopes for winning the championship every year was dashed. This means that she is especially stoked for this year as the Cardinals are excited to face down their last match before making the finals. Plummer discussed that after winning once and losing once, how she doesn’t care much for losing. This year could be a redemption year for the team, who is up against 31-1 BYU.
Karch Kiraly, the coach for the U.S. national team, expressed her thoughts on this rising star. Noting that she has the “entire skill set”, Kiraly stated that Plummer has “potential to be a good international player”. She went on to discuss how college athletes don’t typically come out of college with the skills that Plummer already exhibits.
What makes Kathryn Plummer stand out?
Coach Kevin Hambly discusses exactly why Kathryn Plummer is excelling at her role on the volleyball team. He notes her dedication and commitment to excellence, how she is always looking over videos to analyze her own performance and think about what she could have done better. “She wants to be the best player.” To be the best, you need to constantly improve on your play but Coach Hambly says that you also have to understand volleyball better. While some people may think that volleyball is just about hitting and blocking, there are so many other aspects to this sport that determines who wins and who loses.
Kathryn Plummer Knows She Stands Out
Acknowledging that her competition will be looking closely at her to see how they can dominate in the matches. She is proud of this fact. She is also proud of all of the defensive strides that she has accomplished during her time at Stanford. Plummer has grown into a creative shot maker over the course of her college career, something that was definitely noticed during her match in Oregon.
Her inspiration is NBA star Tim Duncan, because he makes even the most difficult techniques look easy. Kathryn Plummer is a human biology major who likes to stay grounded rather than get too focused on all of the hype. This amazing star has the potential to go far in volleyball, as long as she keeps this incredible drive for getting better every match.