Craig Sesker - The Hawk Eye
Photos - John Gaines Photography
Southeastern Community College freshman libero Taryn Stephens (9) celebrates a point against Hawkeye Community College last Thursday at Loren Walker Arena in West Burlington.
SCC's Taryn Stephens (middle) awaits the serve against Hawkeye Community College last Thursday at Loren Walker Arena in West Burlington.
SCC's Taryn Stephens celebrates a point against Hawkeye Community College last Thursday at Loren Walker Arena.
SCC's Taryn Stephens chases down the ball against Hawkeye Community College last Thursday at Loren Walker Arena .
SCC's Taryn Stephens (9) heddles with teammates against Hawkeye Community College the season at Loren Walker Arena.
Taryn Stephens knew it might take some time to adjust to playing volleyball at the collegiate level. But it certainly didn’t take long. The 5-foot-8 Stephens has made an immediate and emphatic impact with the SCC Blackhawks. The freshman from Burlington has already twice been named Iowa Community College Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week.
“I have gained a lot of confidence, and I have found my role on this team,” said Stephens, a prep standout for Notre Dame High School. “I just come in and try to play good defense and contribute in as many ways as I can.” Stephens, who plays the libero position for the Blackhawks, has excelled defensively and ranks among the nation’s leaders in digs per set. She is the first SCC player to receive multiple athlete of the week accolades from the ICCAC this season.
“It has been very surprising,” Stephens said of being honored. “It definitely gives me a boost, 100 percent. It is good to be recognized for helping my team.”
Southeastern coach Michelle Popkin raves about the impact Stephens has made in her freshman season. “Taryn is so good at what she does, and she brings it every single time she’s on the floor,” Popkin said. “She’s been phenomenal for us. She plays great defense, and she serves and passes well. “Taryn is super tough and she loves to compete. When she came here, we knew right away that she had the ability to be something special as our libero. And she has been.”
Stephens is among a large group of talented newcomers on a Blackhawk team comprised mainly of freshmen. “We have a great group of girls, and we hang out together all the time,” Stephens said. “We are all very close. We’ve built some good chemistry with this group and that carries over onto the court. We get along really well.”
Stephens said the transition from high school to college has gone smoothly. “I already knew a lot of the girls on the SCC team from playing with and against them growing up,” she said. “That makes a big difference — knowing each other so well, knowing their tendencies and knowing how everyone plays.” One of those players is Blackhawk freshman Aviana West, who Stephens was teammates with at Notre Dame. “Ava and I are definitely close,” Stephens said. “We are each other’s accountability partner. We push each other and encourage each other. “Aviana’s confidence was down a little bit early in the season, but as her friend and teammate I just had to pick her up. She’s playing great now.”
West shares a similar view. “Taryn and I support each other tremendously and hold each other accountable,” West said. “We played together in high school, and we played club volleyball together. We have great chemistry with each other. “Taryn is a very gritty player and she’s very good at defense. She’s a smart player who really sees the court well.”
Stephens, as you might expect, is enjoying her new surroundings at Southeastern. “I love it — it’s been great here,” Stephens said. “It’s a great atmosphere to play volleyball in. And school’s going great. I am studying criminal justice, and it’s going really well. “It’s great being able to play so close to home. SCC has been a great fit for me.”
Stephens is part of a young Southeastern team that is 9-13 overall while playing a challenging schedule. “We’ve played well against some ranked teams,” she said. “We have lost some close matches to some good opponents. We know we can do well against the better teams. We just have to learn from those matches and keep working hard.”