Freshman Ally Barrett (pictured) became a standout for UConn volleyball this past weekend (Charlotte Lao/The Daily Campus)
Freshman Ally Barrett was a bright spot during a weekend which featured two hard-fought losses against SMU and Tulsa. UConn head coach Kris Grunwald said Barrett played exceptionally well.
“Ally being put in this situation as a freshman, has done some really nice things,” Grunwald said. “She is obviously capable of doing even more, but given our situation, we feel like we have got her in the best role for her and where she can worry about her front row responsibilities.”
The Illinois native recorded 14 kills and six digs over the weekend. Those numbers do not speak to the obvious impact that she has clearly had on the court.
“(Barrett) is one of our best passers and she plays a great back row,” Grunwald said. “So, it’s not as if she’s not back there because she can’t do it. She is doing great stuff for us and I think as we go down the road, she is going to be a big cornerstone of who we are.”
Against Tulsa, Barrett was a hound on the net as she was constantly battling and defending their strong outside hitter Emily Thorson, who is currently sixth in the nation with over 330 kills.
UConn had 11 ties against Tulsa but were constantly trying to come from behind. The Huskies fell to Tulsa in straight sets by a score of 25-20, 25-23, 25-18.
Grunwald said that the team is anxious to get back out on the court after this weekend. Barrett will have to continue to progress if the team wants to win these upcoming games.
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“She is obviously capable of doing even more, but given our situation, we feel like we have got her in the best role for her and where she can worry about her front row responsibilities”
“We let two opportunities get away from us this weekend,” Grunwald said. “ We know that we have two teams coming in next weekend, who we feel we can beat and be successful against. But none of that is going to happen until we prepare for it and that starts on Tuesday.”
Michael Logan is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at michael.logan@uconn.edu.
