How Cari Spears Has Handled the Switch From Outside to Opposite

Freshman year in college is already a whirlwind for most athletes. For Cari Spears, it came with an extra twist. She arrived in Austin thinking she would be an outside hitter like she had always been, but then learned shortly before the season opener that she would be switching to the opposite side. A new position, a new set of responsibilities, and she had never played it anywhere until some preseason practices in the late summer.

Jerritt Elliott says the move comes from a combination of individual-based and team-based factors. He had seen something in her that made him believe she could not only handle the switch, but thrive in it, and he wanted to give her a real chance to show what she could do on the right. “As a coach, you need to kind of give some opportunities for evaluation and see how kids do in their position,” he said. She had the arm talent, the athleticism, and the ability to be a powerful presence on the right pin for the Horns. “She hits such a heavy ball, we wanted to see if we could find a spot for her on the court, for sure.”

When Cari learned she would be switching positions, she didn't really think too much about it. She was “excited for a new challenge” and simply rolled with the change. It was still volleyball in her mind, and as she put it, “I was learning a lot of stuff really fast, so it was honestly really fun.” 

There are a few things that have stood out to Cari about the differences between the two positions, the biggest one being a new angle of approach. It adds a degree of difficulty to have to let the ball travel a little longer to her hitting shoulder in order to swing over the block. Out of system swings become especially trickier for that reason. Blocking also takes on a bigger role, since the right side is usually lined up against the opponent’s top scorer. Opposite asks for a different skillset and mindset, and Cari has been learning those differences quickly.

But she hasn’t been going through the transition alone. In addition to her coaches, she credits Devin Kahahawai for helping her think about the game at a higher level. “I’ve learned a lot from Devin because we’re really different players,” Cari said. She describes Kahahawai as “a really smart player” in terms of “finding shots, finding other ways to score than just hitting hard,” and she has helped her focus on more than just powering the ball past the block. During timeouts or between points, Kahahawai will nudge her with questions like “what did you see on that play?” or “what made you choose that shot?” It’s made Cari more intentional and more dangerous with her shot selection.

She also has a new favorite attack, and I'll bet you can guess what it is. Hint: it's a play that really showcases her athleticism has produced the most eye-popping highlights for Cari this season. That's right, the D ball gives her the chance to see the whole court and really control the play. “You’re just jumping in, you can see the whole court, and it literally feels like you’re just up there floating on top of the world.” And if your name is Cari Spears and you can jump like she does, that probably feels true.

By this point in the season, she doesn't see herself as an outside nor as a right side, saying instead that “I see myself as a pin.” “It’s fun ‘cause I can be even more versatile, so it’s honestly just been an advantage to be able to play both.” And that sentiment is something I've heard parroted by the coaching staff time and time again. They have a priority of recruiting 'volleyball athletes' that can excel at a variety of skills and positions, and Cari fits that mold perfectly.

With the success she has already shown on the right, Elliott does not see this move as temporary. The way he talks about her makes it clear they may have unlocked something special. “Right now, she’s one of the best opposites in the country, so there’s no reason to go back.” says Elliott. “Her ability to learn from what Ben [Josephson]’s teaching her, in terms of her range and her development has been pretty impressive,” he said, also noting that she's shown a steep learning curve on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. “We’re beyond ecstatic for what she’s doing, as a human being and as a player.”

Her season has been so successful, in fact, that she has emerged as THE frontrunner for the AVCA National Freshman of the Year award, in conversation with the likes of Erika Sayer (Stanford MB), Lindsey Mangelson (MS State OH), Suli Davis (BYU OH), and Kalyssa Blackshear (Louisville OPP).

For a lot of players, that might be a distraction or a source of pressure, but Cari is not the type of player to let that change anything. She gets into the gym every day to keep learning and keep competing no matter what the outside noise is, good or bad. And that extends to game days too, with Cari saying “I wouldn’t be playing any different if I wasn’t in the conversation." She’d obviously be very grateful for an honor like that, but let me tell you that she thinks about winning matches, not winning awards.

It’s easy to forget she’s still a freshman, learning a brand-new position at the highest level of college volleyball. But that’s exactly what makes her so impressive. Switching positions, especially at this level, is not easy, and she has thrived to become not just a great opposite hitter, but one of the best in the country. And it's only up from here.