LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — After falling short to Harrison last week, Central Catholic was hungry for a win.
As a four-year starter for the Knights, her leadership is evident and skills were too much for the Logansport Berries to contain. Carley Barrett is this week’s Athlete of the Week.
“Yeah, we lost our first game to Harrison, and that was kind of down low for us. So, coming into this game we were like, let’s get our first win. We’re not going to take them lightly no matter what team it is. So, we really wanted our first win, so we did that,” Barrett told Sports 18.
The senior outside hitter believes that her teammates reciprocate her energy, so she must maintain a positive attitude.
“When I get a kill or ace or anything, I think the energy that I bring just really picks up the team and they bring it to me too when I get kill their always cheering for me,” she said.
The Knight’s head coach Brad McCarter says Barrett’s experience and skill-set makes her one of the heartbeats of the team.
“She is one of the heartbeats. Being a four-year starter for us, she’s been through the wars. So, a lot of the younger kids look up to her and she’s a very strong voice for us in the locker room,” McCarter said.
Having the attention of the locker room, Barrett even talked me through what some of the conversation was like with her teammates on the floor during adversity.
“There were a lot of times when we were just relaxed and we let them pick on us. We weren’t in the right mindset sometimes, so I just picked up my team and told them to get a better attitude and we can get more points,” Barrett said.
When execution is off for Barrett, she looks to McCarter for the answer.
“He’s always just giving me corrections and I take them well. He’s very nice with it and he knows what I do wrong and I put it to my game.”
Coach McCarter emphasizes that Barrett’s style of play will be necessary for the rest of the season.
“She was aggressive, both offensively and defensively for us. Which is what we need out of a four-year starter and captain for us,” he told Sports 18.
In her last year as a Knight, Barrett is excited for the duration of the season.
“It should be a fun season and we’re looking for more wins and in tournament time…make a run!”
