Matt Cain – Contributor
Outside Hitter Sara Enright, a transfer senior, has been performing high on the volleyball court this year. Enright has played a significant role on the team since coming from Orange Coast College.
Enright transferred to Southern after her sophomore year and immediately built a bond with her fellow Owl teammates. She is also one of the team’s captains this year, and the go-to outside hitter. Head Coach Lisa Barbaro needed people to step up after crucial players graduated.
“She has to be that person to get the ball in tough situations, and she accepted the challenge,” Barbaro said.
Enright’s 2023 season has been nothing but spectacular, having a season-high in kills, assists, digs and points. With Enright having season highs in these categories, she has put the NE10 conference on notice as she looks to be one of the best players in the conference.
Enright is known for bringing energy to each and every game. On the team, she is known as the competitor.
“She is that person that holds players accountable and picks the team up when they’re down,” Barbaro said.
This Owls team is starting to enter conference play, and the one thing that the team feels they can do is compete for the NE10 championship. Enright responded well to the pressure and turned it to positivity.
“We wanted to turn the locker room, making sure everybody has a positive attitude,” Enright said.
For the 2023 season so far, Enright is having her best offensive and defensive year. Enright is first in the NE10 for kills and sets.
“It’s not just me. It’s a team sport, and everybody wants to win,” Enright said.
Enright is not just a competitor and a top performer; she is also a great teammate. Sara is there for her teammates, and she is a role model to the younger girls.
“My role is just to keep everyone together. I want the girls to know they can come to me for anything,” Enright said.
With Enright having that role, the team works very well together. Last year the owls had a rough season from start to finish. Now, they plan on putting that year behind them and moving forward.
“Everyone wants to win, and that’s the environment we need,” Enright said.
The Owls are looking good so far this year. They are 11-10 and now look to conference play. The team, led by Enright, looks to perform big against their NE10 opponents.
Coming into this year, Barbaro and the team have championship aspirations. The end goal is to become NE10 champions. A championship will be the only thing missing from Enright’s perfect season thus far.
Enright is a leader. As much as she wants to capture a championship, she would love for her teammates to say they are champions as well.
“It’s not how we start; it’s how we finish,” Barbaro said.
