Going with younger setter in Cullen paying off for Legacy 18-Elite
Replacing Erin O’Leary is no easy task, but Celia Cullen has taken on the challenge at full speed. When the three-time Class A state champion and 2017 Miss Volleyball winner enrolled early at the University of Michigan, the Legacy 18-Elite…
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Continue ReadingReplacing Erin O’Leary is no easy task, but Celia Cullen has taken on the challenge at full speed.
When the three-time Class A state champion and 2017 Miss Volleyball winner enrolled early at the University of Michigan, the Legacy 18-Elite squad found itself without a starting setter.
Not just any setter would do to replace O’Leary. Legacy wanted to find a special athlete, and they found it in Cullen.
Just a sophomore at Brighton, Cullen joined the Legacy Volleyball Center for the 2017 club season. Instead of playing with 16-Elite, Legacy immediately put the Michigan State commit up to the starting setter position at 18-Elite.
“When Erin O’Leary left to enroll early at Michigan, we were looking for the next-best setter. It didn’t matter what class she was,” Legacy Volleyball Co-owner and coach Jennifer Cottrill said. “Celia was the answer. She has all the things you could possibly look for. She’s 6’1”, she touches 10 feet, she’s fast, she’s strong and she’s physical. She’s a Big Ten setter. She had been playing up in age at her previous clubs as well, so we knew she had some familiarity with taking on a bigger challenge.”
At 6’1”, Cullen has a lot of hitting ability as well, which she has utilized at Brighton. However, with Legacy and in her future as a Michigan State Spartan, she will be all about setting.
“Celia is an athlete that is a setter,” Cottrill said. “You have some setters that are just natural setters, but don’t have that strong athletic ability outside of their setting roles. Celia is an athlete that is learning how to be a setter. That means her ceiling is unbelievably high. As she continues to polish her skills as a setter and improving on her ability to read defenses, she’s going to continue to make big strides.”
Cullen had previously played club volleyball with Michigan Elite and Team Detroit in the past, but was excited to be given the opportunity to set for Legacy’s most veteran roster.
“I knew it was a great opportunity for me to really get prepared for what I will see in college,” Cullen said. “Playing 18’s is a very fast-tempo style that forces you to have to be locked in at all times. I had confidence in myself that I could handle it, but I also knew that it was a big step up.”
Cullen battled some nerves in the beginning, but was quickly made to feel part of the team by her new teammates.
“It was a little nerve-wracking at first,” Cullen said of joining 18-Elite. “I was a newcomer to the program and most of the team had been together for a few years. Plus, I was younger, so sometimes it can be hard to speak up when you’re surrounded by older and more experienced players. But, my teammates all welcomed me with open arms right away and made me feel part of the team. They took away a lot of those nerves.”
The decision to go with Cullen paid off immediately, as Legacy 18-Elite was among the top club teams in the nation in the early stages of 2018.
“At the beginning of the year last year, she did better than we expected her to do,” Cottrill said. “The team was playing very well and was ranked No. 1 for a long time. They lost a close final in the Triple Crown, which is the best tournament of the year. She really adapted quickly to a new environment and new teammates. Celia is a great competitor and her competitiveness is what allowed her to fit in so quickly.”
The club season ended with Legacy pushing for a top-10 ranking nationally and Cullen’s experience on the squad helped her to a strong junior season with Brighton. Cullen was a First Team All-State selection in Division 1 after putting up over 600 assists and 380 kills.
“This fall I felt like my game had improved a lot and I had an easier time seeing the open 1-on-1 opportunities for our attackers,” Cullen said of her junior season with Brighton. “My sets were getting faster and my technique felt a lot better, so it was keeping defenses from having as much time to prepare for what we were going to do.”
In 2019, Cullen continues to be part of 18-Elite for Legacy and the squad is off to an unbeaten start as it heads into Triple Crown NIT this weekend.
“Our team chemistry is great. We don’t have any cliques. We are one big family and all love each other,” Cullen said of this year’s 18-Elite squad. “We win together and we will lose together. Everyone is focused on the team and giving their all to help the team do as best as it can.”
Cottrill says the comfort level for Cullen on the floor has improved a great deal from the start of last club season and she anticipates a lot of improvement from her in the second year with the club.
“She is much more confident this year and was voted a captain by her teammates, so she understands her role with this team and knows she a big piece to what we do,” Cottrill said. “She really has a better grasp of our system this year and what we want from her. We are raising the bar for her in terms of our expectations and she is handling that very well.”