Celia Cullen Embraces Role As SMU’s Tone Setter

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Celia Cullen Embraces Role As SMU’s Tone Setter

DALLAS (SMU) – Celia Cullen scampers across the floor and sets her feet. The ball hits her fingertips and in a fraction of a second the SMU senior completes her mental checklist, diagnosing the where and who of the scenario.

In an instant, Cullen has figured out where the opposing defense is and where the best offensive point of attack for the Mustangs will be. She lobs a set towards a teammate, hoping for another thundering kill from one of SMU's front line players.

Between practice and games, there's no way of knowing how many times that exact scenario has played out for Cullen over the last two years. It's a number she admits she can't even begin to fathom.

And every single one of those moments, no matter the environment, has been crucial to her success.

"I think that trust definitely just comes from repetition. We practice every single day. Sometimes it feels like, 'OK, this is a lot,' but it really does just come from practice," Cullen said. "When we practice something and we know it works, then we're not going to be stressed doing it during games. I think just the preparation behind that is what kind of builds trust and builds those relationships."

That level of dedication is what SMU coach Sam Erger was hoping for when she made her recruiting pitch to Cullen after taking over the program in February 2022.

Following a two-year run at Michigan State, Cullen entered the transfer portal looking for a fresh start. Erger, a Michigan transplant herself, knew she needed Cullen, not just because of her skills, but because of her commitment to continual improvement. Erger figured that the Midwest upbringing they had in common probably meant the idea of hard work was ingrained into Cullen from a young age.

Cullen was Erger's first recruit to visit campus and first to commit to the program. It's a moment that had a ripple effect.

"When you're looking at the setting role, it's kind of like a quarterback and you really want that person to be one of your hardest workers. Obviously, you're always recruiting exceptional kids, but this is somewhere that you just can't miss," Erger said. "She embodies all of that. She's as blue collar as they come. Truthfully, nobody works harder on our team. I would hate to have to compete against her because she is just ruthless and brutal and doesn't stop. She's all go, all gas."

From the outset, Cullen began working with her new teammates to establish rapport. She developed an understanding of each hitter's skills and weaknesses, hoping to create chemistry that would allow them to be successful when she set them up.

The rewards have been easy to see as Cullen currently leads the American Athletic Conference in assists with 896, a mark which also stands top 30 in the NCAA. Combined with 1,148 assists last season, Cullen has 2,024 in her two years with the Mustangs, placing her ninth all-time in school history and still climbing.

"Coach Sam has especially been harping on us having a good feedback loop with her," said senior hitter Jamison Wheeler. "Celia is just really good at taking our feedback and making it happen the next play. And if that doesn't work, we just keep repeating it. Our feedback loop just gets better and better each day. And over the years our connection has gotten better – but we still work on that connection every single day."

With seven matches left in the regular season, the hard work for Cullen and her SMU teammates isn't slowing down.

The Mustangs (18-6 overall, 12-1 AAC) head into Friday's contest at East Carolina on an eight-match win streak. The meeting will feature the two division leaders in the AAC as the Pirates (18-6, 9-4) sit atop the East while SMU paces the West.

Between now and then, Cullen will put up a lot of sets in practice. She'll continue to connect with her teammates to make sure their timing is perfect and her set puts them in position for a kill. Hard work has put SMU in driver's seat for a conference championship – and Cullen is going to make sure that commitment doesn't stop anytime soon.

"I think all of us just have the attitude that we want to be in the gym, we want to get better. We're all just really hungry, especially because we haven't had this kind of success in a while," Cullen said. "We kind of just want to prove that we can do this. I think we're kind of taking this new pressure that we've never really experienced as more of a privilege for all the hard work that we've put in. I think we're just excited to see what's to come."