MCC Volleyball signs Southwest standout Caylin Barnett

Caylin Barnett, 5-7 outside hitter from Southwest High School, signed her national letter of intent and will play at McCook Community College next season.

"Caylin was a player in our area that we were interested in earlier on this summer," said MCC Coach Hayley Kobza. "She came in and played with our team and fit right in with our group."

Barnett said when she practiced with the MCC girls they were a fun group to play with.

"They were all competitive and pushing each other to get better," she said. "I am very blessed to call the girls my teammates now."

She said she picked MCC after being around MCC volleyball her entire life, including attending camps when she was younger.

"I have also watched MCC in the past and the atmosphere is amazing." Barnett said. "They also play at a highly competitive level."

Barnett set Southwest records in season and career digs, career kills, and career points – a career that included more than 1,000 kills, 1,000 digs and 1,000 serve receives. She finished with 1,199 kills and 1,211 career digs, a .271 hitting percentage, 106 service aces and 34 blocks. This year she had 393 kills and hit at a 34.6 rate with 349 digs.

Among her accomplishments are being selected all-conference second team in 2019, and first-team in her sophomore through senior seasons. She was team floor captain for three years, an honorable mention all-state choice in 2020 and 2021, and named to the AVCA Phenom Watch List in those two seasons as well. At the end of the 2021 academic year, she was selected Academic All-State.

She said her fondest high school memory was making and breaking the school record of 27-7 this season.

"My team knew that if we wanted to experience state, we needed to go up a notch, and we did," she said. "My teammates helped me get where I am now, and I am proud of all of them."

She said she was also very blessed to experience state with her mom Kim, who is also her head coach.