Indiana University Athletics
‘Limitless’ -- Haworth Sets High Bar for Volleyball Success
9/26/2024 11:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Camryn Haworth pauses to focus on the task at hand, blocks out a roaring Wilkinson Hall crowd and the pressure from a high-stakes volleyball moment against Notre Dame, takes a deep breath and smashes the Big Ten's best serve.
The Irish are in trouble.
Nine times Indiana's All-America senior setter serves in the late stages of the fourth set. Eight times the Hoosiers score, taking them from the brink of defeat trailing 21-16 to the cusp of match victory. That the final point in a 25-22 match-clinching victory comes on an Irish service error doesn't diminish the achievement.
As coach Steve Aird says in the post-match aftermath, "Cam is one of the better players in the country. Serving is one of her best skills. She'd been hot and cold for the first nine matches, but that was the first time this season I saw Cam go full Cam."
The full Cam propels the Hoosiers (7-3) to a comeback four-set victory over Notre Dame (7-2) that delivers a huge Big Ten-opening boost with this weekend's West Coast trip to conference newcomers Washington and Oregon up next.
"Cam is just a dog," middle blocker Madi Sell says. "She gets after it every day. She works her butt off. She puts us in great situations. We couldn't ask for more."
The 5-10 Haworth can't walk on water, but she can walk on her hands. That's among the athletic attributes that make her a volleyball triple threat via setting, serving and hitting.
It's why she's a returning All-American, why she's made the American Volleyball Coaches Association Watch List for its player-of-the-year award, why she's done things almost no one else has in the program's 50-year history.
"Camryn is special," Aird says. "She's not the biggest kid, but she's incredibly competitive.
"She's unorthodox in some ways. She's a left-handed setter. She has great body control with an unbelievable serve. She's become a better blocker. She can really defend. She's starting to understand the game."
Teammates are better for it.
"Camryn sets us up for success -- always -- which makes it special to play with her," opposite hitter Avry Tatum says.
Success finds Haworth, a half an hour after the match, displaying a badge of athletic honor in the form of cup marks on the front and back of her left shoulder. Cupping helps reduce inflammation and aid in tissue healing, and there's plenty to heal when you deliver elite performance day after day, match after match, practice after practice because that's what's required when you want to be the best.
"It gets blood flow to the area," she says. "My shoulder has been a little sore. I think it helps."
What's some soreness when so much opportunity awaits? Team matters to Haworth. You pick that up quickly in conversation. She has enough individual honors and statistics to fill a trophy case, but it's not about that, and never was. It's bonding and winning and achieving with teammates who have become family that matters most. It's helping this program grow, year by year, through sweat and tears, perseverance all along the way.
"The team culture since I've gotten here has changed so much," she says. "All the girls are really close. They want to play for each other, want to work hard in practice together. It's a happy environment to be in."
*****
Few players fill up a stat sheet like Haworth, who is athletic enough and competitive enough to play every position if the situation would warrant it. Against, Notre Dame, she had 39 assists, 14 digs, two aces, two kills and countless leadership moments.
Stats aren't the goal, she says.
"I try to do all I can for the team. I don't look at the stat sheet. It's not about that, it's about the group.
"I was a hitter growing up, so that allowed me to play a lot of positions and be around the game a lot, so I learned a lot. I could best help the team by playing every position and do everything I could for the team."
Everything, in this case, includes career numbers of 3,243 assists, 771 digs, 305 kills and 183 aces. Few in program history can match the versatility and production she brings.
Credit a drive honed at an early age.
Haworth's father, Jack, played football at Ball State. Her mother, Dianne, played college volleyball, as did older sister, Audrey, at Binghamton University and Tennessee Martin. Her younger brother, Grant, plays football at Ball State. As a result, family competitions, such as driveway pickup basketball, were fierce.
Haworth continues reaping the benefits.
"Being competitive was introduced to me and my siblings at a young age," she says with a smile. "Plus, I am a middle child, so there was another compete factor there. It was how I was raised."
That helped her to become a standout player at Fishers High School near Indianapolis as well as on the Munciana club team that won the 2021 Club 18 open national title. Aird quickly targeted her as a must-have recruit, and Haworth committed as a 13-year-old freshman.
Along the way, she learned what works best for her. Take her serve, which Aird says is as good as any in the country. She has 19 on the season, including two decisive ones against Notre Dame, and is soon to break the IU career record of 197 - previously set by Jen Magelssen in 1998.
"For me, the key is not thinking about what I'm doing too much," Haworth says. "I go out there and I just need to hit the ball. Keep it simple. The coaches know that. They give me feedback here and there, knowing it's just my routine, my space I need to be in. Just keep it simple."
It helps, she adds, to be left-handed.
"The spin coming from a left-handed person is different than from a right-handed person. My serve is a little unique. My whole thing is, hit the ball hard, because the spin is hard for the passers to judge."
Aird vouches for that. As a club player, Haworth didn't serve or set at a high level. When she got to IU, Aird and his staff showed her what to do and what was possible, "then we got out of her way."
"It's the left-handed component," Aird says. "Part is technique. It's not predictable. She can change speed and locations, and it's hard to read. Not a lot of people have someone in their program who can hit a ball like that, so it's almost impossible to train until you see it live. That's the advantage she has over most people.
"She had almost double the aces of anyone in the conference last year. We give her the green light. She'll miss some shots. I don't care. I just want her to go for it."
*****
A nearly six-hour charter flight awaits the Hoosiers for their trip to Washington and Oregon, and they seem primed for something special in the nation's best volleyball conference.
"Why not us?" asks middle blocker Ava Vickers.
The key, libero Ramsey Gary adds, is simple.
"We have to play our game, do our thing and trust each other. Focus on the future and what's in front of us."
What's in front in the expanded Big Ten is brutally challenging. Seven conference teams are ranked in national polls, led by, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Penn State, No. 7 Wisconsin, and No. 10 Purdue. Oregon is No. 11. Unbeaten Washington isn't ranked but is the first team outside the top-25.
"There won't be a lot of places to hide," Aird says.
The Hoosiers don't want any.
"We have new teams, new challenges," Haworth says. "We are ready to attack it."
Attack brings the promise of peaking performance.
"I don't think we've played near our best ball," Aird says. "We were shaky for the first four to six matches. We started to see some good things at Texas (an early September loss).
"It's consistency. We miss four or five serves and do some things that make you want to pull out your hair," -- he pauses for comedic effect given his lack of hair -- "if you had any. It's growing pains.
"When you win, you're not as good as you think you are. When you lose, you're not as bad as you think you are. The truth is in the middle. We're doing a lot of nice things. It's staying healthy and training at a high level."
Haworth prepares to head back onto the Wilkinson Hall court. The roars from the nearly 2,000 fans are gone -- Aird says,
"When this building starts going, it's like a jet engine. It's like the roof is going to come off the place." -- but celebratory activity continues. There are remaining fans to greet, rest to get, plans to make.
"We can go as far we set ourselves to go," she says. "One of the words we use to define ourselves is limitless. We create boundaries for ourselves, so creating no boundaries allows us to go as far as we want to go.
"It's going to be special."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Camryn Haworth pauses to focus on the task at hand, blocks out a roaring Wilkinson Hall crowd and the pressure from a high-stakes volleyball moment against Notre Dame, takes a deep breath and smashes the Big Ten's best serve.
The Irish are in trouble.
Nine times Indiana's All-America senior setter serves in the late stages of the fourth set. Eight times the Hoosiers score, taking them from the brink of defeat trailing 21-16 to the cusp of match victory. That the final point in a 25-22 match-clinching victory comes on an Irish service error doesn't diminish the achievement.
As coach Steve Aird says in the post-match aftermath, "Cam is one of the better players in the country. Serving is one of her best skills. She'd been hot and cold for the first nine matches, but that was the first time this season I saw Cam go full Cam."
The full Cam propels the Hoosiers (7-3) to a comeback four-set victory over Notre Dame (7-2) that delivers a huge Big Ten-opening boost with this weekend's West Coast trip to conference newcomers Washington and Oregon up next.
"Cam is just a dog," middle blocker Madi Sell says. "She gets after it every day. She works her butt off. She puts us in great situations. We couldn't ask for more."
The 5-10 Haworth can't walk on water, but she can walk on her hands. That's among the athletic attributes that make her a volleyball triple threat via setting, serving and hitting.
It's why she's a returning All-American, why she's made the American Volleyball Coaches Association Watch List for its player-of-the-year award, why she's done things almost no one else has in the program's 50-year history.
"Camryn is special," Aird says. "She's not the biggest kid, but she's incredibly competitive.
"She's unorthodox in some ways. She's a left-handed setter. She has great body control with an unbelievable serve. She's become a better blocker. She can really defend. She's starting to understand the game."
Teammates are better for it.
"Camryn sets us up for success -- always -- which makes it special to play with her," opposite hitter Avry Tatum says.
Success finds Haworth, a half an hour after the match, displaying a badge of athletic honor in the form of cup marks on the front and back of her left shoulder. Cupping helps reduce inflammation and aid in tissue healing, and there's plenty to heal when you deliver elite performance day after day, match after match, practice after practice because that's what's required when you want to be the best.
"It gets blood flow to the area," she says. "My shoulder has been a little sore. I think it helps."
What's some soreness when so much opportunity awaits? Team matters to Haworth. You pick that up quickly in conversation. She has enough individual honors and statistics to fill a trophy case, but it's not about that, and never was. It's bonding and winning and achieving with teammates who have become family that matters most. It's helping this program grow, year by year, through sweat and tears, perseverance all along the way.
"The team culture since I've gotten here has changed so much," she says. "All the girls are really close. They want to play for each other, want to work hard in practice together. It's a happy environment to be in."
*****
Few players fill up a stat sheet like Haworth, who is athletic enough and competitive enough to play every position if the situation would warrant it. Against, Notre Dame, she had 39 assists, 14 digs, two aces, two kills and countless leadership moments.
Stats aren't the goal, she says.
"I try to do all I can for the team. I don't look at the stat sheet. It's not about that, it's about the group.
"I was a hitter growing up, so that allowed me to play a lot of positions and be around the game a lot, so I learned a lot. I could best help the team by playing every position and do everything I could for the team."
Everything, in this case, includes career numbers of 3,243 assists, 771 digs, 305 kills and 183 aces. Few in program history can match the versatility and production she brings.
Credit a drive honed at an early age.
Haworth's father, Jack, played football at Ball State. Her mother, Dianne, played college volleyball, as did older sister, Audrey, at Binghamton University and Tennessee Martin. Her younger brother, Grant, plays football at Ball State. As a result, family competitions, such as driveway pickup basketball, were fierce.
Haworth continues reaping the benefits.
"Being competitive was introduced to me and my siblings at a young age," she says with a smile. "Plus, I am a middle child, so there was another compete factor there. It was how I was raised."
That helped her to become a standout player at Fishers High School near Indianapolis as well as on the Munciana club team that won the 2021 Club 18 open national title. Aird quickly targeted her as a must-have recruit, and Haworth committed as a 13-year-old freshman.
Along the way, she learned what works best for her. Take her serve, which Aird says is as good as any in the country. She has 19 on the season, including two decisive ones against Notre Dame, and is soon to break the IU career record of 197 - previously set by Jen Magelssen in 1998.
"For me, the key is not thinking about what I'm doing too much," Haworth says. "I go out there and I just need to hit the ball. Keep it simple. The coaches know that. They give me feedback here and there, knowing it's just my routine, my space I need to be in. Just keep it simple."
It helps, she adds, to be left-handed.
"The spin coming from a left-handed person is different than from a right-handed person. My serve is a little unique. My whole thing is, hit the ball hard, because the spin is hard for the passers to judge."
Aird vouches for that. As a club player, Haworth didn't serve or set at a high level. When she got to IU, Aird and his staff showed her what to do and what was possible, "then we got out of her way."
"It's the left-handed component," Aird says. "Part is technique. It's not predictable. She can change speed and locations, and it's hard to read. Not a lot of people have someone in their program who can hit a ball like that, so it's almost impossible to train until you see it live. That's the advantage she has over most people.
"She had almost double the aces of anyone in the conference last year. We give her the green light. She'll miss some shots. I don't care. I just want her to go for it."
*****
A nearly six-hour charter flight awaits the Hoosiers for their trip to Washington and Oregon, and they seem primed for something special in the nation's best volleyball conference.
"Why not us?" asks middle blocker Ava Vickers.
The key, libero Ramsey Gary adds, is simple.
"We have to play our game, do our thing and trust each other. Focus on the future and what's in front of us."
What's in front in the expanded Big Ten is brutally challenging. Seven conference teams are ranked in national polls, led by, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Penn State, No. 7 Wisconsin, and No. 10 Purdue. Oregon is No. 11. Unbeaten Washington isn't ranked but is the first team outside the top-25.
"There won't be a lot of places to hide," Aird says.
The Hoosiers don't want any.
"We have new teams, new challenges," Haworth says. "We are ready to attack it."
Attack brings the promise of peaking performance.
"I don't think we've played near our best ball," Aird says. "We were shaky for the first four to six matches. We started to see some good things at Texas (an early September loss).
"It's consistency. We miss four or five serves and do some things that make you want to pull out your hair," -- he pauses for comedic effect given his lack of hair -- "if you had any. It's growing pains.
"When you win, you're not as good as you think you are. When you lose, you're not as bad as you think you are. The truth is in the middle. We're doing a lot of nice things. It's staying healthy and training at a high level."
Haworth prepares to head back onto the Wilkinson Hall court. The roars from the nearly 2,000 fans are gone -- Aird says,
"When this building starts going, it's like a jet engine. It's like the roof is going to come off the place." -- but celebratory activity continues. There are remaining fans to greet, rest to get, plans to make.
"We can go as far we set ourselves to go," she says. "One of the words we use to define ourselves is limitless. We create boundaries for ourselves, so creating no boundaries allows us to go as far as we want to go.
"It's going to be special."
Players Mentioned
Libero
/ Women's Volleyball
Setter
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
Opposite/Middle Blocker
/ Women's Volleyball
Middle Blocker
/ Women's VolleyballWednesday, August 05
Monday, August 03
Monday, August 03
Monday, August 03