In her sophomore season at Campbell, Heather Wilson leads the team in assists and services aces, dishing out 30 or more assists 10 times this season through 23 matches. Wilson discusses her duties on the court, her favorite things about Campbell and her love of horseback riding.
Q: What would you say is your most improved skill on the court after nearly two years at Campbell?
Wilson: Probably my defense. My defense has definitely improved a lot. The coaching staff really worked hard on it with me. It had been really hard for me, because I'd injured my hip in Washington, so it made it hard to get low on defense. So that's something I've definitely been working really hard to improve.
Q: You are a setter, for those that are not familiar with the game, what is your primary duty on the court?
Wilson: I'm kind of like a quarterback. I'm supposed to run the court and run the plays. My biggest goal is to make my hitters successful. One of my biggest goals as a setter is to give my hitters a single block. If I give them a single block, then eight out of 10 times, they're going to get a kill. So when I'm setting, I'm thinking about where the blocker is going to go, who are they going to follow, how can I get this person on a single block. I always just try to give my hitters the best set I possibly can. I'm not the most athletic person on the team for sure, but I guess you don't necessarily have to be in my position. Playing the setter position is a big mental game, and there are a lot of mental responsibilities that you have to take care of to get the outcomes that you want.
Q: How do you determine where to set the ball on a given play?
Wilson: Sometimes I know who I'm going to set before the ball is even passed because I know that a certain person can put it down, or we're running a play where I know the other team isn't going to read it. A lot of times it's an in the moment kind of thing when I see what the other side is doing. If it's an off pass, they'll cheat outside, so I'll just change directions to get the single block, which is 10 times more successful. A lot of times it depends on the pass too. I just have to put the ball in the best place so my teammates can put it away.
Q: What would you say is your go-to or signature move?
Wilson: My dumps. If I'm not doing them, Coach Mullins will tell me, "don't forget Heather, be aggressive." It's probably my most signature move.
Q: How did your setter dumps become such a big part of your game?
Wilson: I don't know. I don't even know how I became good at them. I mostly use them during long rallies. As a rally goes on, the defense starts to spread out and so the middle of the court starts to open up more and more. As a setter, I have to use my peripheral vision, so I'm looking to see if the middle is cheating, then I'll set the opposite direction because if they cheat, we'll get a single block. I'm also looking to see if the defense has spread out. A lot of times, if I'm further off the net, that's when I'll do it because that's when it's least expected. With tight passes, sometimes that's about the only thing I can do without getting into the net. It's almost a last minute decision, but it's not. I just have to take into consideration where the pass is at, where the defense is at and what my hitters are running because if they're running a one, the blocker is going to be right there, but if they're running a three, then there is going to be space.
Q: Is deception is big with that move?
Wilson: Definitely on the one-handed dumps, I have to be really careful not to give it away. I can't let my right hand fall because it'd be obvious. If I was left handed it would be so much easier, but, you know, I make due.
Q: What has been your favorite on court moment so far at Campbell?
Wilson: Last year when we played really well against Duke and almost beat them in the third set. We definitely played really well and it was exciting. Later in the year I was sitting at home watching Penn State and Duke play each other in the NCAA Tournament, and it was crazy because we played both of them that year. It was just really cool to know that we played them and had those experiences.
Q: What would you say is the best part about being a volleyball player at Campbell?
Wilson: Coming in, you're already guaranteed a group of people that you are going to be friends with. You have these great friends on your team, and then you meet other athletes on different teams on campus and they become your friends too. It's almost like you have your own little support group. I'm friends with athletes from almost all the sports. Everyone understands what you're going through, and that's one of the best parts.
Q: What would you say is the best part about being a student at Campbell?
Wilson: I definitely like the class sizes and that professors actually learn my name. I like the fact that you can be personable with your professors and that they actually encourage you to do that. You can do that here, whereas at a big school, you can't because you have more than 100 students in every class. So that's definitely a plus.
Q: You're majoring in biology here at Campbell. What is or has been your favorite class?
Wilson: My favorite class was probably zoology. I plan to go to veterinary school, so it was really interesting. It was a lot of material and it was definitely difficult but it was one of the most interesting classes I've taken so far.
Q: You have done some horseback riding in the past. Tell me a little about that. Is that something you still do?
Wilson: It's definitely something I wish I could still do. I had to put it on the backburner for volleyball. I started when I was five, but then the barn that I was riding at moved, so I had to stop. Then I kept begging my mom to ride again, so when I was in fourth grade I started back and it just became a huge passion of mine. I'd show, but I never got to own my own horse. It was too expensive to do that and volleyball, so I had to choose. It's definitely something I miss. It was like a therapeutic thing where I could go out and relax, and just not worry about anything in the moment. It actually persuaded me into the profession I want to go into, which is equine medicine. It's definitely something I plan to pick back up on. It's always been pretty important to me because it's something I love to do.
Q: Do you plan to own your own stable one day?
Wilson: Oh yes. I want to live on a farm and own my own horses. It's definitely a goal I have.
Q: What do you like to do in your spare time?
Wilson: Sometimes we'll go shopping (smiles). A lot of times, I just go hang out with people and relax. Most of the time, I'm trying to study or I'm in practice or in class, so I just like to go hang out, watch a movie or something. We're always so busy, so I like to just chill and do something that's relaxing.
