Cassie Strickland thought the hardest part of her volleyball career was over.
Last fall, she was on the verge of quitting, frustrated at the two-year transition from outside hitter to libero in Washington’s lineup. Strickland confided in teammate Kaleigh Nelson that if she could no longer aim for spikes, she wasn’t interested in volleyball anymore.
“That was your identity and now it’s gone,” Nelson told the budding defensive specialist. “Make a new one. Thrive off of this.”
Top dawg: Longtime coach Jim McLaughlin left for a similar position at Notre Dame. Keegan Cook, a UW assistant the past two years, was promoted.