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26 CAVALIER CORNER Tadder is not unfamiliar to the leadership role, acting as a prominent figure on her high school squad. She noted that her primary way of leading has been by example, but her experiences over the past two and a half years have shown her that example alone is not going to be enough to compete at the highest level and get the team to where they need to be. It is important to also be a vocal figure that will truly push her teammates to work through tough situations on and off the court. In February, Tad- der was invited along with former UVA setter Gabby Easton to par- ticipate in a prestigious camp to determine Team USA's collegiate national team. The two flew out to Colorado Springs, Colo., and lived the life of a national team squad member, staying in the dorms at the USA Olympic Center and training under national team head coach Karch Kiraly while being graded by a variety of Team USA evaluators, including her current head coach at Virginia, Shannon Wells. "It was such a great learning experience and opportunity to grow my game," she said. "I got to play alongside a handful of famil- iar faces from high school and club, other student-athletes from the ACC, as well as student-athletes from different conferences all over the country. "I didn't really go in with big expectations, I just wanted to show up to compete with the best of the best, and that's what I did." Though Tadder was not selected to compete for the collegiate national team, she remains incredibly grateful for the opportunity in Colo- rado Springs where she picked up a multitude of leadership and technical skills she was able to bring back with her to Charlottesville. "I wasn't the most comfortable when I ini- tially got there since I did not know most of the girls," she said. "I honestly felt a bit like a newcomer again in some ways, but I really tried to focus on being a good teammate and to stay vocal. "That's where I started really picking up on trying to be more of a leader, talking my teammates through what was happening on the other side of the court or what I wanted out of them. That's something I have tried to make sure we work on here more because it is so important to the game." Tadder also said she was able to grow more comfortably into her role and position while in Colorado. "It was a great mo- ment for me techni- cally," Tadder said. "I realized that I was mak- ing a lot of mistakes and errors which had been holding me back a bit, so coming back to our spring training I was really able to fo- cus on those details and limit my errors. "That was my main focus and it has helped me a lot so far this season." Her stint with Team USA has been paying dividends in the 2023 volleyball season. Tadder led the Cavaliers in kills (130), points (154.5), and blocks (45) through Sept. 22, helping the Hoos go 7-3 in nonconference play. VOCAL LEADER VOCAL LEADER Volleyball's Abby Tadder Is Embracing Her New Role BY WILLIAM JARRETT W hen the Virginia volleyball team prepared to take the court at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C., for practice in September, third-year middle blocker Abby Tadder loudly led her teammates in their daily stretching routine and readied the squad for their first ACC matchup of the 2023 campaign against North Carolina. The San Diego native is now one of the longest tenured Cavaliers on the volleyball roster and has begun to adopt leadership responsibilities on a roster that features seven newcomers to the program, including four first-year additions. "Coming into camp and seeing so many new faces I sort of realized that we don't really have many older people who have been around the program very long, and then I had to consider I am one of those older people now," Tadder said with a laugh. "It was a bit crazy to think that I am now one of the most experienced on the court that has been here a long time. "It is my turn to lead, just like the players that helped mentor and lead me and my class. Now I am trying to help get the team to the level we need to be at. I have really enjoyed taking some of the first-year middle blockers, Lily Gervase and Nala Cornegy, under my wing and showing them the ropes, teaching them some tricks and techniques that I wish I knew sooner. "I just want to make sure I am helping to build the program for after I leave." " It is my turn to lead, just like the players that helped mentor and lead me and my class. Now I am trying to help get the team to the level we need to be at. … I just want to make sure I am helping to build the program for after I leave. TADDER