Eminence seniors Megan Sweeney and Jenna Carter put pen to paper on Friday, March 3 at the EdHub to sign with Transylvania University volleyball to further their academic and athletic careers.
Both athletes have been integral parts in Eminence’s dominance in the 31st district over the past several years, leading the Warriors to three straight district titles and two consecutive appearances in the state All “A” Classic.
Sweeney follows in her sister Madison’s footsteps, who is currently a senior for the Pioneers.
“I think it definitely played a big role. I was able to be at a ton of games to watch the team play and was able to be with the team outside of volleyball to see what it was like when they weren’t even playing or doing anything volleyball related. It was nice to see the full experience rather than what you see at a visit,” said Sweeney. “It was also great to have my sister that went to Transy, to ask her questions about her time there. She was pushing me to go to Transy, and I knew I could trust her opinion, so that played a huge role.”
Aside from the family ties, Sweeney decided to sign with Transylvania because it “felt like home.”
“The coaches are so amazing, and I know they will push me to be the best I can be,” said Sweeney. “I also felt wanted there by the coaches and that played a huge part in my decision.”
Sweeney has played volleyball since she was eight years old, and has been part of Eminence volleyball since her parents started the middle school program.
This past season, Sweeney paced the Warrior attack with 461 kills and averaged 4.75 kills per set. She also tallied 218 digs, 24 blocks and 110 aces. During her high school career, she totaled nearly 1000 kills.
At Transylvania, Sweeney is unsure what she plans to study, but is considering accounting or finance.
“I love math/numbers so I think that could be a good route for me,” said Sweeney.
In college, Sweeney’s volleyball goals include improving in all aspects of the game, being the best teammate she can be and pushing herself in the gym at all times.
Sweeney acknowledged her family and various coaches for encouraging her during her volleyball career. Her father, Eddie, led the Warriors for seven years before stepping down at the end of the 2022 season.
“I would like to shout out all my family, my parents, for being there for me and pushing me to be the best player I could be, also my grandparents for coming to all my games and supporting me,” said Sweeney. “I also want to thank all my coaches throughout middle/high school and all my travel ball coaches who have played a big part in where I am today.”
Carter joins Sweeney in Lexington after guiding the Warriors on offense for the past few seasons. She dished out 774 total assists in her senior season and averaged 7.98 assists per set. In addition to her setting abilities, Carter excelled from the service line with 93 aces and on defense with 182 digs.
Like Sweeney, Carter automatically felt like home at Transylvania.
“After visiting a few schools before, none compared to Transy. The campus was very pretty and it was not far away from home. The volleyball coaches made me feel so comfortable and the girls all seemed so kind. I knew very quickly that Transy is where I wanted to spend my next four years at,” said Carter.
Carter began her volleyball career in the fourth grade and started playing club volleyball when she was 11 years old. She joined Eminence’s middle school team as a fifth grader and spent eight years in total playing for the Warriors.
Going into college, Carter plans to engage in the Pre-Med program. She is also about to receive her CAN and EKG certifications.
“Healthcare has always been something that I want to be a part of,” said Carter.
On the court, one of her goals is to receive playing time as an oncoming freshman.
“I know this will be difficult, but I am determined to put in a lot of work to get this opportunity,” said Carter. “I also hope to improve my skills and build great connections with my teammates and coaches.”
Carter also took time to thank some of her biggest supporters throughout her career thus far.
“My biggest supporters would have to be my mom and dad. They constantly pushed me to keep sending emails and getting film sent out. They’ve always believed in me and helped me get to where I am now,” said Carter. “I would also like to thank Eddie Sweeney, Michelle Sweeney, Kelsey Knott, and Blake Knott for being the best high school volleyball coaches I could’ve asked for. Each one of these coaches constantly let me know how proud of me they were and made sure to point out my accomplishments.”
Both athletes join a Pioneers squad that finished with its best season in recent history, earning their fourth conference championships and advancing to the NCAA Elite Eight in Pittsburgh, Pa.