By Dalton Ray–
Louisville volleyball is known for having home-grown talent on the team. Three current players and the head coach, Anne Kordes, are from Kentucky. One of the three is Jasmine Bennett. After being one of the best players in the state in 2014, Bennett chose to play volleyball at U of L.
The McCracken County High School product didn’t see much time during her first year on campus. Only playing in 15 sets last season, Bennett had 15 kills and six blocks.
With the loss of big-time players, Kordes is expecting a big year out of Bennett.
“Bennett didn’t play a lot for us last year. I think she’s going to have a breakout year as a sophomore,” Kordes said. “(Bennett) is going to start a big-time career this fall.”
Only six games into the season and Bennett has already started to show the player she can be. She currently has 49 kills, placing her fourth on the team. She’s just behind Tess Clark with 18 blocks.
Replacing two All-Americans isn’t an easy task. While a coach can’t replace exactly what those players did for their team, the coach can find players to fill the void through aspects different aspects. This is exactly what Kordes has done with Bennett.
Already making her impact on the team during her first opportunity, Bennett is on pace to become a star for U of L. Kordes’ prediction of Bennett having a breakout year is coming to fruition early on. Expect to be hearing Bennett name a lot more over the next three years.
Photo by Nancy Hanner / The Louisville Cardinal
