After her junior season was cut short by a season-ending ankle injury, Eisenhower’s Emmarie Barger is entering her senior year with renewed motivation and a strong desire to help the Tigers break through the substate barrier.
“I am most excited for the opportunity to make it to state,” Barger said. “We haven’t been able to make it past substate in the past years, and I think the girls we have this year and their grit to get better can make it happen.”
Barger’s junior season ended after she played 65 of Eisenhower’s 81 sets. Despite missing the end of the season, she made a significant impact, finishing second on the team with a .251 hitting percentage and averaging 2.5 kills per set with 160 total kills. She also earned 5A All-League honorable mention honors in the AVCTL Division II.
Eisenhower finished 22-13 and captured the league championship.
This offseason, Barger focused heavily on preparing her body to withstand a full volleyball season. Following two ankle surgeries, she spent three months recovering before being cleared to return to sports.
Her rehabilitation included strength, mobility and stability work, eventually transitioning into injury prevention and continued rehab. She also spent time working on agility, footwork and her vertical jump while balancing basketball, team practices, conditioning, lifting and volleyball skill work.
“Between PT, team practices, conditioning, lifting, and skill work, I’ve put in a lot of hours to make sure I’m ready,” Barger said.
One of Barger’s biggest priorities entering the season is regaining the explosiveness she had before her injury. She wants to become more effective both as a hitter and blocker, particularly after noticing differences in her jump, quickness and timing following her return.
“I specifically worked on being more in tune with the hitters across the net and I’ve already seen a huge difference in my blocking efficiency,” Barger said.
Playing club basketball throughout the spring and summer also helped Barger rebuild confidence in her movement. Now, she believes the work she put in during the offseason will translate to a stronger presence on the volleyball court.
With six seniors on the roster, Barger sees plenty of leadership within the Tigers and believes that experience can help the team improve on last season.
“I think as we build more chemistry we can finish stronger than we did last year,” Barger said.
The team’s goals include winning a second consecutive league championship and making a state tournament appearance. Individually, Barger hopes to earn higher league honors while improving her hitting percentage and kills per set.
She also wants to embrace a larger leadership role as a senior.
“I’m excited to be a leader this year and showcase to everyone how I’ve become a better athlete in the offseason,” Barger said.
After being forced to watch the end of her junior season from the sidelines, Barger is eager for the opportunity to compete through an entire season. The experience has given her an added sense of urgency heading into her final year.
“Not being able to finish my junior year season really lit a fire inside of me,” Barger said. “I’m excited to see how much I’ve grown since then.”
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