Morehead, Ky.-- Similar to the front row, the back line and setter will feature a mix of Eagle veterans and some fresh faces in the program.
Junior
Courtney Fitzgerald returns after two solid seasons to begin her collegiate career at Morehead State. "Courtney has a strong serve receive and does a lot of the little things well," said MSU head coach
Kyrsten Becker-McBride. "She is emotionally consistent during a game, which is important."
After making 17 starts and playing in all 113 sets in her first season in Morehead, she started all 31 matches in 2024.Â
Redshirt Senior
Shea Hefner returns to the team for her third season. "Shea is incredibly mature and a great teammate," said Becker-McBride. "She has the courage to say the hard thing that isn't popular but needs to be said. And it comes from a genuine, loving place, so the team can be better.
"Part of the role of our defenders and liberos is making it hard for our offense to score in practice," she added. "And Shea absolutely does that. She brings a nasty serve as well."
Knoxville, Tenn., native
Tinsley Brown returns for her second season at Morehead State in the back row. "Tinsley is making good progress with her serve," said Becker-McBride. "We've been working with her on being more aggressive and I think she's made good progress. Defensively and passing, she's come a long way since she walked in the gym (last season). She has definitely gotten stronger and faster, and I expect her to be a key component in the back row."
Newcomer
Kennedy Tinch brings some versatility to the court. "One of the unique things about Kennedy is that she set for a lot of her career before transitioning to a DS (defensive specialist)," said Becker-McBride. "She does a little bit of everything, and we have a good history of having versatile athletes who could fill multiple roles. She's a super-smart athlete and very mature in addition being a very hard worker."
Junior setter
Sydney Sennett returns after appearing in all 126 sets in 2024, piling up 591 assists last fall. "Sydney is probably the best blocking setter we've had here in a while," said Becker McBride. "She is another player who after a couple of years here, she has a much better understanding of our offense and how tempo and different sets impacts other things happening on the court."
Veteran
Logan Smith joins Morehead State after three years at NAIA Marian University (Ind.), where she piled up 1,374 assists including 575 last season, along with recording 16 double/doubles in 2024. "Logan comes from a solid NAIA program," said Becker-McBride. "She is a good defensive setter, who has played some DS as well. Her game contrasts very well with Sydney (Sennett), and I think she's a great addition to our setting unit."
The Eagles open their season Friday against St. John's in Louisville in the Cardinal Classic multiple team event. MSU will take on Auburn Saturday and fourth-ranked Louisville Sunday. Becker-McBride said knowledge of her team is important in building a schedule. "With this team being more experienced, it can handle going up against teams that are higher profile," she said. "I think this team wants these challenges and is also prepared to take that on. It will also be a great experience for the team."
Becker-McBride added that the goal is for the team to be peaking when Ohio Valley Conference play begins. "The last two years, we have gotten better as the season has gone on," she said. "Some of that is our method, we as a coaching staff are mindful of their bodies and their workload throughout the season. Our mindset is that we encourage failure early so that we can correct it later. Our overall goal is to be our best in November."
Â
Â
