We’re proud to be a part of an ongoing partnership with Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is sponsoring our Player of the Week award. We’ll be releasing a featured vballrecruiter.com Player of the Week, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, on Tuesdays. Below is this week’s Player of the Week: Natalie Carr.

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Making the switch from competitive cheerleading to volleyball took time from a skills perspective. For Natalie Carr, it didn’t matter at first if she couldn’t underhand serve the ball over the net. The sport was new and she was having fun doing it.

“I started going to Pitt camps when I was young and one of the first camps I started doing, the way the players were interacting with each other was really cool,” Carr said.

She’s no longer the 10-year-old trying out a new sport. The Class of 2026 outside hitter is now 5-11 and playing up an age group for Pitt Elite 16 Elite. Carr was recently named to the JVA All-National Team for U16 and she’s also an accomplished beach player who has been competing on the sand since she was 11.

While individually Carr continues to grow and develop at a rapid pace, Pitt Elite has also taken steps forward this season. The team has done so by capturing gold medals at both the JVA Rock’N Rumble and Capitol Hill Classic and recently going 6-0 at the The Nike Open in early May, all in 16 Open. Up next is the end of the season, when Pitt Elite competes in 16 Open at the AAU national championships on June 26-29 in Orlando.

It was back in mid-January at Rock’N Rumble in Cleveland where a top highlight of Carr’s took place. There’s no doubt herself and teammates would love to bookend their season by creating another lasting memory like it at AAUs.

“Our first tournament of the year was Rock’N Rumble and we were going in and didn’t know how we stood next to other teams,” Carr said. “Metro (16 Travel) was the top team and we had to play them in the first game (Sunday morning). We played them and it went three sets and the final score was 23-21. It was crazy winning that last point. It was incredible. It was so much fun. That was our first big win of the season and it was really special for everyone on the team.”

As our featured Player of the Week sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, we recently spoke with Carr about volleyball and more.

Who is your role model or icon you look up to?

Carr: I would say Kerri Walsh Jennings. She’s obviously a very good beach volleyball player. I follow her on social media. Just who she is, she’s such a good person. I look up to her in both volleyball and life in general. I met her at p1440 nationals two years ago. It was a really cool experience.

What is your favorite food(s)?

Carr: Definitely acai bowls. It’s my favorite thing in the whole entire world.

What is your favorite tournament of the season?

Carr: Probably the Capitol Hill Classic. It was a relatively big tournament. There were a bunch of teams there and they were all high-level. Getting to compete against them and winning that tournament was really big. It was a fun tournament.

What is your favorite team bonding event?

Carr: For me, in club we always find a restaurant to do a team dinner at. It’s so much fun. We dress up in cute outfits. We talk about volleyball and everything else. It’s fun because we get to dress up and get ready together then come back to the hotel and hang out. It’s so much fun.

What is your favorite quote?

Carr: My favorite quote is ‘Be the best version of you.’ The reason I like this quote so much is from a volleyball perspective you can’t compare yourself to other people. That’s really important. That’s something that is easy to do but it doesn’t help anyone. For real life, it’s about always being a nice person and being as good as you can be.

What is your go to song to warm up to?

Carr: Whenever I warm up, I have a 12-hour Taylor Swift playlist I always play. I put it on shuffle and whatever comes on is what hypes me up and gets me ready to play.

If you could have any super power what would it be and why?

Carr: Probably the ability to teleport. I lose track of time and normally I’m a pretty late person. I’m never where I’m supposed to be on time.

What do you like to do outside of volleyball?

Carr: I really enjoy baking. I like journaling and hiking. I enjoy being outside. My chocolate chip cookies are so good. Everyone I’ve ever given one to loves them.

What is one thing that may surprise people about you?

Carr: I’m a pretty quiet person but on the volleyball court I’m really loud and energetic. When I meet new people I’m shy and timid until I get to know them.

If you could have dinner with anyone past or present, who would it be and why?

Carr: Taylor Swift. She’s such an interesting person. Her music is so good. I would like to know her thought process behind her songs and what she decides.

What is your favorite number and why?

Carr: Number 10. I honestly have no idea why. It has no relation to anything. If anything, it’s an even number and I really like even numbers.