The South Carolina volleyball team has started the season strong with a 6-4 record under first year head coach Sarah Rumely Noble, with immediate impact from freshman outside hitter Victoria Hill.
Hill has shown promise throughout the start of the season, gaining over 119 points for the team out of the overall 639. She is one of the constant offensive leaders, with 108 kills so far.
Hill said joining a new team and playing in a new environment with a big fan base can be nerve wracking, but she quickly found that the other players are supportive and she has been able to find a connection with the setters that help her excel in games.
“I was nervous at first, but then the fans just bring so much energy, and it's so fun in there that you just have fun,” Hill said.
At Trinity Preparatory in Florida, Hill was a three-time Varsity Volleyball Servant Leadership Award selection and was named the AAU All-American in 2020 and 2021 for club volleyball.
“I had a great support system,” Hill said. “That was a really good year for my team, and we were all (played) off of each other's energy and stuff. That's what created the win, and after that, I got that award.”
Hill played club volleyball, school volleyball and ran track during her time in Florida. Being a dual-sport athlete in high school has helped her competitiveness, head coach Sarah Rumely Noble said.
“When you're playing an individual sport, it's all on you, and you have to come through in the clutch,” Rumely Noble said. “I think that that allows her to do that here with the team as well.”
Rumely Noble has known Hill since she was 11 because she coached Hill's sister at LSU seven years ago. Hill has since followed Rumely Noble, who came to South Carolina from Appalachian State. Hill was previously committed to the Mountaineers before flipping her commitment and following Rumely Noble to South Carolina.
“She wanted to be around coaches ... that were going to challenge her on and off the court, and so she signed up to come play for me,” Rumely Noble said. “I'm excited she's a Gamecock, because she's super talented, and I think she's maximizing her potential by the level that she has to bring every day.”
Sophomore libero Victoria Harris said Hill is very coachable and that is what makes her a great player. She said she can rely on Hill to match the opposing team’s athleticism and overpower their defense during games.
“I've told her this since we started in the summertime, that I just feel very comfortable playing with her, and she just brings such an athleticism out there that we haven't had in a while,” Harris said.
Second to Harris, Hill leads the team in getting digs with 67 so far this season. She also has six solo blocks and five assisted blocks, helping the defense from the net. Hill said she has been working on improving her defensive abilities throughout the season in order to contribute more than just on offense.
“I've been just really focusing on passing in practice and defense, specifically with (assistant coach) Chanelle (Hargreaves), because we're going to be playing teams that can really hit the ball really hard, so I need to learn how to defend that,” Hill said.
Rumely Noble said she plans to work with Hill on her defense skills as the season progresses to strengthen her technique alongside her athleticism. The team has spent time getting those blocking skills incorporated along with digs in the games, she said.
“She's incredibly humble, and I think that she's approached this team with humility of she understands she has a lot of growth and a lot of ways to get better, but she also approaches it with the confidence of what her game is,” Rumely Noble said.
What's next?
South Carolina volleyball team (6-4) will begin conference play against the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats (7-2) on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. in Lexington, Kentucky. The game will be streamed on the SEC Network.