Kerr bringing leadership to STM volleyball

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) -- With four upperclassmen on the 2026 roster, St. Thomas More volleyball is leaning on senior Julianne Kerr's leadership.

After she led the Sabers in assists last year, Kerr is set to move into more of an attacking role at outside hitter.

With lots of underclassmen on the roster, she's aiming to encourage her teammates.

"Implementing on them that literally it's fine if you make a mistake and that's how you build and become a good leader is when you're not too hard on yourself, and that's kind of what all seniors in the past have done, Kerr said. "They've really been focused on uplifting each other instead of being like, really down, because that brings everybody down."

STM head coach Brad Dalton echoes Kerr's leadership prowess.

"She's really stepped up in the leadership role... she's really vocal," Dalton said. "She calls kids out... she does what she's supposed to do as a leader."

Kerr is the youngest of three sisters. Her oldest sister, Caroline, is entering her redshirt senior season as the setter at Tennessee, while her second-oldest sister, Addison, is a sophomore setter at Eckerd College in Florida after transferring from SIU.

The Sabers finished last season with a 23-13 record, opening up the 2026 schedule at home against Arthur-Okaw Christian on August 24.

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