Freshman Volleyball Player Displaying Versatility For Lady Sharks

Growing up in a home full of athletes can have an influence on you. That is certainly the case with Hannah Kemmerer.

Kemmerer’s father and brother, Robert and Daniel Kemmerer, loved baseball so Hannah naturally picked up a bat when she was six years old.

Despite her passion for the sport, it’s volleyball that won her heart.

Kemmerer is a freshman on the Lady Sharks volleyball team this year. She has known Head Coach Origenes “Kiko” Benoit since 2013. 

“She used to attend my volleyball camps every summer,” Benoit said. “It’s funny, the last time I saw her she was like five feet tall and now years later she’s almost 5-feet-11 inches.” 

Kemmerer began her athletic career with the Miami Stingrays Softball Club when she was 10 years old and then joined the Miami Elite Volleyball Club when she was 14.

But she made her mark playing volleyball and softball at Westminster Christian School, a private school in Palmetto Bay. 

During her junior season, Kemmerer had 11 wins and 39 strikeouts after transitioning from the outfield. The Miami Herald selected her as the 2019 All-Dade Softball Pitcher of the Year. 

While playing softball for the Warriors, she won back-to-back State Championships in 2017 and 2018 and fell short of a three-peat in 2019 after losing in the State Championship game to Trinity Christian Academy. 

As a volleyball player, Kemmerer posted a .217 hitting percentage with 131 kills and 53 blocks during her senior year. The team won regionals but fell to Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in the Class 3A State Championship game last fall. 

She will focus on volleyball at MDC. However, that doesn’t mean she will stop displaying her versatility.

Kemmerer, who was a middle blocker in high school, is switching to play as a right side hitter for the Lady Sharks. Benoit and Kemmerer mutually made the decision because at 5-feet-10 inches tall she is undersized for a middle blocker. 

“She’s getting a lot better especially in hitting, but there’s always room for improvement,” Benoit said. “The transition takes time.”

Kemmerer’s teammates are confident she will adjust.

“She has improved since she joined the team,” said sophomore defensive specialist Daniela Tobar. “She listens to the coach’s feedback and she wants to learn.” 

Kemmerer said she developed a great relationship with her teammates, especially Tobar. The two have bonded and spend their time making TikTok videos together. 

With the regular season three months away, Kemmerer is focused on helping the Lady Sharks improve on last year’s performance that saw them finish third at the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas.

“I feel like I can contribute to the team,” Kemmerer said. “I wanna improve and I’m looking forward to competing for playing time.”

The Lady Sharks start the regular season on the road Jan. 29 versus Hillsborough Community College.