Outside weapon: Huskies’ Taryn Hannah having a season of kills

Article content

Taryn Hannah is like a volleyball magnet.

Article content

Article content

Serves tend to go her way.

Sets too.

In return, the University of Saskatchewan outside hitter has led her team in kills this season.

With 272 kills during regular-season play, Hannah ranked third in the Canada West conference behind only Raya Surinx of the University of Manitoba Bisons and Maryn Boldon of the Trinity Western University Spartans, whom the Huskies are facing in the Canada West women’s volleyball playoffs.

Article content

That best-of-three series is locked at 1-1 with the third game going Sunday afternoon (3 p.m.) at the Physical Activity Complex on the U of S campus.

Hannah is in her second season with the Dogs after transferring from the University of Brandon Bobcats.

Hannah found her way back home to Saskatchewan and the Huskies couldn’t be happier.

‘Taryn’s definitely exceeded expectations,” says U of S women’s volleyball head coach Mark Dodds. “For sure, as coaches, we always have high expectations but she’s just had an unbelievable year. She’s been incredible. One of the parts that just isn’t seen on the stat sheet is how many (serve) receptions she has had this year. I haven’t looked in the last week or so but, at one point, she had over 100 more serve receptions than the next player in all of Canada so she’s taken on a huge load for us and her ability, to be as consistent as she has, is just incredible. It’s been fun watching her this year”

Being targeted with so many serves, are other teams trying to pick on Hannah, and failing?

“Her passing efficiency has been unreal,” Dodds says of Hannah. “She’s been one of the better ones in our conference this year. I think it’s just being in that P1 (Power 1) side and typically teams try to serve to that position and Taryn definitely doesn’t have a traditional technique with her passing, so I think she kind of almost tricks people a little bit, what it looks like, and what the outcomes are. They don’t look like they might match but, again, she’s just a great athlete and she’s found a way to be successful and she’s doing it.”

Article content

Article content

The Battlefords product led the Huskies with 16 kills in a 3-1 victory Friday night (25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23) and 12 kills in a 3-1 loss Saturday (25-19, 16-25, 24-26, 21-25).

Hannah is one of four transfer students from Brandon University, the others being setter Tielle Hagel, and outside hitters Keely Anderson and Ashley Thoms.

“She went to Brandon for her first year and it just wasn’t a good fit for her academically, life-wise,” offered Dodds. “Volleyball played a little factor to it. We had talked with her over her Grade 11-12 years and there just wasn’t a spot (at the time). The timing wasn’t right here at the U of S, but, after her first year, we had a few players graduate and move on. Taryn found her way back here and I’m glad she did.”

While Hannah’s athleticism has stood out, Dodds credits her personality as well.

“She’s kind of a cool, calm, collected person just all the time and she just kind of loves life and loves playing and loves competing. You kind of put that athleticism paired with that personality type and generally good things happen.”

DOG TALES: The Huskies have two graduating players, including starting middle Julia Howell Bourner, “having been here for six years and one of our team middles, another piece that we’ve got to get one of these young middles ready to take over,” and super-sub Haley Poier, both from Saskatoon.

Article content

[email protected]

The Saskatoon Star Phoenix has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe.

With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark thestarphoenix.com and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.

Article content