WOW ! Just a freshman ?
BigJim49AustinnowDallas
Photo by Texas A&M Athletics
Texas A&M Volleyball
Aggie Volleyball's Camille Conner displays rare confidence, leadership
Camille Conner was doing homework in late January of her senior year at Seven Lakes High School when she got the news that A&M setter Stephanie Aiple would forego her senior season due to injury.
“Did you hear?” the text message from her friend read. “Steph’s out for the season.”
Conner, who committed to A&M prior to the start of her senior year, went from thinking she would have a year to develop and learn behind a former SEC Player of the Year to wanting to do everything in her power to be a first-year starter.
“I flipped out. I was like, ‘This is my chance,’” recalls Conner, a four-year starter at Class 6A Seven Lakes in Katy. “Everyone dreams of getting on the court as a freshman, but most people don’t get to do that. Knowing I was going to have the opportunity to do that, I worked my butt off in the spring. I did everything I could because I knew I had a chance to do something big here.”
Conner, who also considered Baylor, TCU and Kansas State out of high school, has impressed her teammates and coaches at every turn since reporting to Texas A&M in May. She took one summer class and spent most of her remaining time working out and going to open gym sessions. The NCAA does not allow the coaching staff to interact with players until August, but that did not stop Conner from establishing herself as a mature, hard-working leader.
Texas A&M Athletics A freshman, Conner stepped in for injured star Stephanie Aiple, and the Aggies haven't missed a beat.
She made such a positive first impression that the Aggie players and coaches were not the least bit worried about having a freshman run the offense after Aiple’s decorated three-year career prematurely came to an end.
So far in 2017, Conner is proving her teammates right.
She was named the Most Valuable Player of the Texas A&M Invitational after topping the 30-assist mark in sweeps over Sam Houston State and VCU. Against No. 5 Penn State a week later, she notched a rare triple-double as the Aggies nearly upset the powerhouse Nittany Lions.
“Did you hear?” the text message from her friend read. “Steph’s out for the season.”
Conner, who committed to A&M prior to the start of her senior year, went from thinking she would have a year to develop and learn behind a former SEC Player of the Year to wanting to do everything in her power to be a first-year starter.
“I flipped out. I was like, ‘This is my chance,’” recalls Conner, a four-year starter at Class 6A Seven Lakes in Katy. “Everyone dreams of getting on the court as a freshman, but most people don’t get to do that. Knowing I was going to have the opportunity to do that, I worked my butt off in the spring. I did everything I could because I knew I had a chance to do something big here.”
Conner, who also considered Baylor, TCU and Kansas State out of high school, has impressed her teammates and coaches at every turn since reporting to Texas A&M in May. She took one summer class and spent most of her remaining time working out and going to open gym sessions. The NCAA does not allow the coaching staff to interact with players until August, but that did not stop Conner from establishing herself as a mature, hard-working leader.
Texas A&M Athletics A freshman, Conner stepped in for injured star Stephanie Aiple, and the Aggies haven't missed a beat.
So far in 2017, Conner is proving her teammates right.
She was named the Most Valuable Player of the Texas A&M Invitational after topping the 30-assist mark in sweeps over Sam Houston State and VCU. Against No. 5 Penn State a week later, she notched a rare triple-double as the Aggies nearly upset the powerhouse Nittany Lions.
Conner has had the A&M offense humming so far in 2017, and her 9.24 assists per set rank eighth in the SEC.
“She’s been awesome. Being so young, it’s amazing to see her step into that leadership role, and her play is just awesome,” says outside hitter Hollann Hans, the Aggies’ leader in kills. “I think mostly everyone saw her play at camp in the summer and knew that she was the real deal and knew she was going to come in and do an amazing job. And she has.”
Her on-court value surpasses the statistics, however.
Her on-court value surpasses the statistics, however.
She has already taken over a major leadership role on the team despite her youth and inspires her teammates with her self-confidence, work ethic and consistency. Conner is quick to forgive her teammates even when they don’t capitalize on a perfect pass and always tries to maintain a positive attitude.
“She brings a pretty special attitude and a lot of special qualities that are really hard to find these days,” A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli says. “She’d be the first to admit that she’s confident to start every match because she brings her best attitude and her hardest work every single day and she knows she’s prepared.
“She brings a pretty special attitude and a lot of special qualities that are really hard to find these days,” A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli says. “She’d be the first to admit that she’s confident to start every match because she brings her best attitude and her hardest work every single day and she knows she’s prepared.
"The team is following her so beautifully. They trust her consistency and her effort and attitude and how she treats them. They want to work for her and want to win for her.”
Says Hans: “Everyone just looks to her. She gets so pumped on the court, which helps so much. We always look to her for the energy, and she gives it to us. She goes for every single ball. No matter how far away it is, she’s always running and diving for the ball. Whether she gets it or not, she’s still hustling her butt off, and she works hard every single day.”
“Every time I touch the ball I try to watch my blockers and the defense on the other side and watch for any type of movement,” Conner says. “If I see that movement, I go. I’m literally like an attacker on the second ball.”
She’s like a quarterback who has the power to change the play at the line of scrimmage. It takes a tremendous amount of trust between coach and player to allow her so much freedom, especially for someone with such little collegiate experience.
Conner is third on the team with 43 kills — 2.05 per set — and her team-leading .360 hitting percentage is tied for tenth in the SEC.
“Coach Laurie trusts me 100-percent, and that has a lot to do with why I’m doing so well,” says Conner, whose high school coach played for Corbelli at A&M from 1994-97. “She is one of the first coaches that has fully trusted me and let me run the offense while being an attacking setter.”
There have been a couple of times this season where Conner was too aggressive, and Corbelli let her know at the next timeout. Conner, not surprisingly, took the instruction in stride.
“She’s the type of kid that really wants to win, really wants to excel and do things correctly,” Corbelli says. “She loves learning and being coached — she gets that it’s feedback more than criticism. All of those things are benefits for her because she can let things be seen in a positive light.”
Conner will try to maintain her fast start for the rest of the season, and the Aggies will try to build on their 3-3 record moving forward. A&M hosts No. 5 Texas at Reed Arena on Wednesday, with first serve slated for 7 p.m.
“Whenever I step in the gym, I want to help my team,” Conner says. “I never walk into the gym thinking about what I can do for myself — I’m always trying to find something to do for my teammates because at the end of the day that’s what makes me better. It always comes back around.”
Says Hans: “Everyone just looks to her. She gets so pumped on the court, which helps so much. We always look to her for the energy, and she gives it to us. She goes for every single ball. No matter how far away it is, she’s always running and diving for the ball. Whether she gets it or not, she’s still hustling her butt off, and she works hard every single day.”
In addition to being a great passer — “Her sets are dead on,” Hans says — the left-handed Conner is also a scoring threat every time she touches the ball.
In addition to being a great passer — “Her sets are dead on,” Hans says — the left-handed Conner is also a scoring threat every time she touches the ball. She spent her freshman year at Seven Lakes as an outside hitter — Corbelli calls her one of the hardest hitters on the A&M roster — and that skill set is evident in her play. Her ability to attack on the second ball keeps the defense on its heels and doesn’t allow the opposing blockers to leave their spots early.“Every time I touch the ball I try to watch my blockers and the defense on the other side and watch for any type of movement,” Conner says. “If I see that movement, I go. I’m literally like an attacker on the second ball.”
She’s like a quarterback who has the power to change the play at the line of scrimmage. It takes a tremendous amount of trust between coach and player to allow her so much freedom, especially for someone with such little collegiate experience.
Conner is third on the team with 43 kills — 2.05 per set — and her team-leading .360 hitting percentage is tied for tenth in the SEC.
“Coach Laurie trusts me 100-percent, and that has a lot to do with why I’m doing so well,” says Conner, whose high school coach played for Corbelli at A&M from 1994-97. “She is one of the first coaches that has fully trusted me and let me run the offense while being an attacking setter.”
There have been a couple of times this season where Conner was too aggressive, and Corbelli let her know at the next timeout. Conner, not surprisingly, took the instruction in stride.
“She’s the type of kid that really wants to win, really wants to excel and do things correctly,” Corbelli says. “She loves learning and being coached — she gets that it’s feedback more than criticism. All of those things are benefits for her because she can let things be seen in a positive light.”
Conner will try to maintain her fast start for the rest of the season, and the Aggies will try to build on their 3-3 record moving forward. A&M hosts No. 5 Texas at Reed Arena on Wednesday, with first serve slated for 7 p.m.
“Whenever I step in the gym, I want to help my team,” Conner says. “I never walk into the gym thinking about what I can do for myself — I’m always trying to find something to do for my teammates because at the end of the day that’s what makes me better. It always comes back around.”
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