2025 Offseason Conversation with Camryn Turner
MLV Grand Rapids Rise

2025 Offseason Conversation with Camryn Turner

Published on October 16, 2025 under Major League Volleyball (MLV)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release


Grand Rapids Rise setter Camryn Turner
Grand Rapids Rise setter Camryn Turner
(Grand Rapids Rise)

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Get to know setter Camryn Turner in the seventh edition of our 2025 "Offseason Conversation" series with the Grand Rapids Rise.

The last time we talked was at the press conference after the final match of the season. It was an emotional moment with a lot of uncertainty in the air. Looking back on that, how much does it mean for you now to be back with the Rise?

Yeah, I was pretty emotional. I'm really excited to be back with the Rise. I'm going to miss playing with a bunch of teammates from last year like Ali [Bastianelli], Symone [Abbott], Raven [Colvin], all of them. But I'm also really excited for the returners like Carli [Snyder], Paige [Briggs-Romine], and Elena [Oglivie]. I'm ready to get back.

How has your offseason been? I imagine it was well needed after playing volleyball for almost a full year straight.

Yeah, I literally think it was a full year because KU [volleyball] went to Europe before the season, so we played in the spring too. It was a long stretch. The break was much needed. I got to not think about volleyball or working out for a little while, just spend time with family and friends and reset mentally. It was exactly what I needed.

Looking back on your rookie season with the Rise, what was the biggest adjustment from college to the pros?

The pace of the game for sure, but also just having another hitter always in the rotation. In college you do not always have a true opposite hitter in all the time, so incorporating that into the offense and thinking through different options took some getting used to.

What do you want to build on going into your second pro season?

I thought I knew everything by my senior year of college. Then I got here and realized how much more there was to learn. Talking with Cathy [George], Jason [Oliver], Mike [Gawlik], and Katie [Gawlik] opened my eyes to parts of the game I had never even thought about. So now it is about building off that volleyball IQ and continuing to grow.

What were some of the biggest things you learned from just being in the Rise locker room last season?

One thing that stood out was how much experience everyone had. In college, everyone is still figuring things out together. In the pros, your teammates have been playing for years. So, everyone kind of becomes a coach to each other. People hold each other accountable, and you learn a lot from conversations that do not even come from the coaching staff. That was new for me.

A setter-hitter connection is built on trust, timing, and communication. How do you approach developing that chemistry, especially with new teammates coming in?

Last year I came in not really knowing anyone. This year we still have a lot of new people, but I feel more confident about building those relationships. I think it happens more off the court than on it. Going out to eat with your hitters, talking more in the gym, just getting to know them as people is what builds trust on the court.

What are the best and worst parts of being a shorter setter?

[Laughs...] I don't really think there is a worst part. People definitely come at you more [with attacks] because of it, but that just makes it more fun. The best part is proving people wrong and showing them, 'I am here too.'

If you could change one rule in volleyball to make it more interesting or challenging, what would it be?

I always see questions like this on TikTok, but I never have a good answer. I would have said the double-touch rule, but that already changed [in college]. Honestly, I agree with letting liberos set in front of the 10-foot line so hitters can swing. Elena [Oglivie] has good hands, and we could run some tempo out of that. [Editor's note: Turner agreed with the rule change first suggested by middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan after hearing what some of her other Rise teammates had already suggested.]

Hear more from Turner outside of volleyball in our "Beyond the Net" series with Rise broadcast analyst Katie Olson.

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Grand Rapids Rise setter Camryn Turner
Grand Rapids Rise setter Camryn Turner
   



Major League Volleyball Stories from October 16, 2025


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