Cartwright named top Aggie
Utah Statesman: You made the all-tournament team at the Southwest Missouri State Tournament and have been selected as the Utah State University Athlete of the Week. How do you feel about your start to the season and those two accomplishments?
Erin Cartwright: I think it’s a good start. It feels good to be the first Athlete of the Week.
US: How does it feel to finally start playing competitively again after the off-season?
EC: It actually came really fast. I was ready for it, but it just hit me fast.
US: How much volleyball did you play during the summer?
EC: I played four or five times a week. We played sand [volleyball]. I liked playing sand a lot. It was fun. We played inside sometimes, but we played a lot.
US: There are a lot of new faces on the team. How difficult is the adjustment to playing with new team members?
EC: It’s pretty difficult to get your team chemistry down when you have a lot of new girls. Last year we had the whole starting side returning. It’s hard to get the team chemistry going, but I think we’re doing pretty good at that.
US: This year the team has players from throughout the United States and even two players from the Czech Republic. What does the diversity bring to the team?
EC: We’re learning a lot. We’re learning about their culture and their values, and we’re just trying to help them adjust. It’s been difficult, but we’re getting through it.
US: You are listed as a middle blocker/outside hitter. What position will you be playing the most, what is your preference, and is there any difficulty adjusting between the two?
EC: I think I’ll probably be playing more middle this year because we don’t have a lot of older girls to play middle. [Head Coach Burt Fuller] wants a little bit more, maybe one that has had experience there more. My preference is outside. I love outside. Outside is my favorite position, but it’s a hard transition because outside they’re higher balls. Middle is more quick, so it’s hard to adjust your timing.
US: Have you set any personal goals for the season?
EC: Yeah, I have. I want to make my hitting percentage better – overall hitting percentage. I want to get more blocks [and] more touches.
US: What was the most exciting thing you did during the summer?
EC: I went to Santa Barbara, Calif. with [former Aggie] Heather Olmstead for three weeks and we went to the beach every day. That was the most exciting thing. That was awesome, just getting tan, playing at the beach.
US: What did you think of all the summer movies and which one was your favorite?
EC: We just saw Blue Crush. I liked Blue Crush. That’s the most recent one we’ve seen and I liked that one a lot. It was good.
US: Do you like stuffed animals and do you have a favorite?
EC: I do like stuffed animals and my favorite one is my Care Bear. I’ve had it ever since I was three or four, so it’s my favorite one.
– slbk5@cc.usu.edu