Player of the Year: Moody lifts team to her level
Nov. 26—BELMONT — With a state championship on the line, Kerstin Moody was a lot calmer than her coach.
Belmont's volleyball team was getting ready to face Sacred Heart in the Class 2A title match earlier this fall, and coach Stephanie Cleveland was a bundle of nerves.
"She was not nervous," Cleveland said of Moody. "She was like, 'Coach, we're going to be fine. We're going to win. We're not going to lose.'"
Moody, of course, was right. The junior outside hitter led the Lady Cardinals to a dominant 3-0 win to give them back-to-back state titles.
That capped another strong season for Moody, who is the 2022 Daily Journal Volleyball Player of the Year.
She recorded 447 kills, 360 digs, 50 service aces and 29 assists as Belmont went 36-5. Impressive as they are, those stats tell only part of the story.
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A team captain since her freshman year, Moody has the sort of confidence that's infectious.
"What makes her special is she's great, but she brings everybody up to her level," Cleveland said. "She doesn't play like she's above them. The fact that she trusted her teammates and told them all season, 'You got it, you got it, we're great.' That's what made her our biggest asset, because she made everybody on the court believe."
Moody is the daughter of former Belmont football coach Kerry Moody. When she played basketball as a child, Kerry was pushing her to always hustle and never let up. Kerstin has retained those lessons, which is one reason she has such ease of mind while on the court.
"I try to remember that it's muscle memory, and we're out there to have fun," she said. "We've practiced over and over and over again. Your body knows what to do, you've just got to trust it."
Moody also trusts her teammates. Belmont lost a big piece of last year's team when Kate Greene graduated, but players like Giselle Lopez, Madasen McCaig and A.K. Merino filled in the gaps. That meant Moody did not have to shoulder a bigger burden this fall.
"We had a lot of talent this year, and the ball was handed around a lot, not just one player," Moody said. "I think everyone stepped up and played their role very well."
That said, Belmont wouldn't have been nearly the same team without Moody. She has a varied skill set and can make plays all over the court, if that is what's needed.
"She can do whatever she wants. You want a six-rotation outside hitter, but you don't always get one," Cleveland said. "She's a phenomenal athlete and person. She's a phenomenal teammate, she's a phenomenal leader. She's just one of those special kids."
