By Mike London
mlondon@salisburypost.com
LANDIS ó South Rowan senior Nicole Barringer isnít a household name, but sheís already made all-county teams for volleyball and basketball this school year, and it will be an upset if the hard-hitting catcher doesnít complete her prep career by going 3-for-3 with a berth on the all-county softball team.
ěNicole is still one heck of a softball player,î said Jan Dowling, Southís volleyball coach. ěBut volleyball ó thatís her thing now.î
Barringer, an outstanding setter, recently committed to play for Averett, a Division III school in Danville, Va. Averett canít give athletic scholarships. It recruits the best athletes it can find who also have the grades to qualify for academic scholarships.
Softball used to be Barringerís main thing. She spent her freshman and sophomore years on the showcase and travel-ball circuit.
Volleyball attracted her attention relatively late ó at first it was something to do to get in shape for basketball and softball ó but she played on Southís jayvee team as a freshman.
ěI was an outside hitter my freshman year, and then our setter broke her thumb,î Barringer said. ěThe coaches said I had good hands, and I tried setting for the first time.î
She was on the varsity volleyball team as a sophomore. She was a right-side hitter because South had an all-county setter in Krista Haywood.
It was between her sophomore and junior years that the volleyball bug bit Barringer hard. Dowling was counting on her to replace Haywood, and Barringer threw her heart and soul into the effort to improve.
ěThatís when I realized volleyball was what I loved and what I wanted to do in college,î Barringer said. ěIt was volleyball 24/7 after that.î
Barringerís junior season included a school-record 49 assists in a marathon match against East Rowan.
In her senior volleyball season, Barringer used her height (5-foot-9) and long arms to become one of the countyís elite players.
ěNicoleís confidence had grown, and with added confidence she started to reach her full potential,î Dowling said. ěI think as a senior she grew to be not just a great volleyball player but a great leader. She took full ownership of her mistakes. Sheís a perfectionist, and she did everything she could to be the best she could be.î
Barringer followed her stellar volleyball season with a quality basketball season. She buried shot after shot in February and finished the season as the Raidersí leading scorer.
Barringer attracted volleyball recruiting interest from Division II schools Belmont Abbey and Brevard, but Averett had the inside track because Barringer already knew Averett coach Danny Miller through summer and club volleyball.
Miller has guided Averettís Cougars to nine regular-season championships and seven tourney titles in his 16 seasons. Averett was 20-17 last fall, and that was in a down year.
ěTheyíve got a very strong program, a winning program, and that was important to me,î Barringer said.
Dowling expects her to become important to Averett.
ěNicole will be a shining light for Averett,î she said. ěTheyíre lucky to get her. Sheíll be one of their best.î