ABILENE – Abilene Christian recruits a number of students from Colorado, but sophomore
Hunter Barker may be the first to have spent a year competing collegiately in Connecticut before making their move to the Key City.
Barker was a four-year multi-sport athlete at Ponderosa High School in Parker, Colo. prior to deciding to go the DII route and signing with the University of Bridgeport prior to the 2017-18 season. In her lone season with the Purple Knights she appeared in 79 of 92 sets, averaging 1.6 kills (.247) and 0.5 blocks per set for a team that finished 8-6 within the East Coast Conference.
Despite experiencing success on the East Coast, Barker's desire to be a varsity beach volleyball player led her to contact the ACU coaching staff and schedule a campus visit. Barker immediately felt at home in Abilene, and as a first-year Wildcat she and freshman
Mackenzie Harris have played exclusively at the No. 2 line for ACU's beach program.
Barker and Harris have been part of Wildcat victories against Arizona Christian, Benedictine and Park, and at the start of this weekend's Southland Conference Challenge the tandem pushed Houston Baptist's Bailey Banks and Natalie Bennett to a third set prior to defeating Nicholls' Kylie Lockhart and Emily Gauthreaux, 21-14, 21-19.
The Wildcats have one more match later today (Thursday, April 18) vs. Central Arkansas. Friday ACU will play against tournament host New Orleans and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and have one match scheduled for Saturday.
Beach Volleyball will become an official Southland sport for 2019-20 academic year, with the first championship hosted by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi next April.
ACUSports.com caught up with Barker at the Wildcats' practice courts last week for a get-to-know-you Q&A in which she discussed her introduction to the sport, the positive impact of her professors, and being teamed up with Harris.
Q: How were you introduced to beach volleyball in Colorado?
A: "My dad and I played a sand tournament together just for fun, and after that I was just in love with the sport. We have two indoor facilities near where I live – The Island and The Oasis – and I go there for clinics all the time with a trainer friend of mine. Plus, one of my club coaches tours with the AVP so I became even more interested after watching him. I felt like this is something I really wanted to pursue, and so I did."
Q: As a multi-sport athlete in high school, how and when did you decide to focus on beach?
A: "I don't know. It came at a random time during my sophomore year. With my kind of athleticism, I just wanted to move and rely only on one person and not a whole team – I don't know how bad that sounds."
Q: Why did you decide to first play college volleyball in Connecticut?
A: "My club coach's daughter went to the University of Bridgeport in addition to a bunch of my (indoor) teammates. They had really good contacts with the coach there, and that led to a lot of emailing back and forth."
Q: And how did Abilene Christian end up on your radar?
A: "I mainly wanted to play beach volleyball, so I was emailing a lot of coaches and I really liked the Christian aspect of the school. I also had good talks on the phone with (assistant coach) Seth (Alstrom). After my visit here I felt convinced that this was my home. This is the right school for me. I love it here."
Q: What's impressed you the most about your classes and professors as a management major?
A: "They all know so much about their subjects. My accounting professor (David Perkins) wrote the text book that we use for the class. That's awesome. I also like how we have bible studies outside of class. Tutoring sessions are offered. The classes are hands on and the professors really show that they care for all their students."
Q: What's your scouting report for freshman and first-semester Wildcat Mackenzie Harris?
A: "She is the most amazing athlete. She's so quick on her feet, hustles for every ball. She's my ideal partner because she's so hard working and takes great shots. She has a great personality too. She doesn't get mad at herself or gets down. She keeps a positive attitude on the court. She's awesome."
