Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe to our sports newsletter here.

Before each volleyball match, Zoey Carrington cranks up the music in the car. Playlists filled with Luke Bryan and hype pop songs blare through the speakers. By the time she arrives, she’s ready to switch from reserved to a sparkplug for Auburn High School’s team.

When she walks into the gym, opposing teams feel her presence. The sound of her pregame blocks reverberates through Auburn’s gym.

In-game, it’s no different. Carrington’s teammates swarm her after every point. The bench feeds off every point she scores.

“It’s loud, it’s confident and it’s intimidating,” Auburn head coach Kimberly Doan said. “(Carrington) changes the momentum of games with these types of plays.”

Despite being just 15 years old, Carrington’s already a cornerstone of Auburn’s program. A starter since freshman year, she stands out among others with her power and setting, Doan said. Her 5-foot-8 frame helps her quickly transition off the block. Carrington led the Maroons last season with 129 digs and 30 blocks, and she’s already off to a strong start this year with 31 kills, 29 blocks and 47 digs through five games.

“(Carrington) has excellent volleyball knowledge,” Doan said. “She’s almost always in the right position, front or back, and she sees the game better than most kids her age.”

Carrington’s volleyball career began in seventh grade. Her parents, Meghan and Paul Carrington, remember how excited she was when she came home after her first season for the Auburn Modified Volleyball Team. She expressed not just that she loved volleyball but that she wanted to pursue it, Meghan said.

That year, Carrington also signed up for a development club team, kick-starting her wild schedule. By eighth grade, she was playing for Club SyrV 14U Premier, a travel volleyball team based out of Syracuse. She now attends six or seven different camps each summer — including ones at Cortland and Syracuse — plus plays in select beach volleyball leagues, where she practices three to four times a week.

Carrington’s quiet presence quickly vanishes when she’s playing volleyball. There’s two sides to her, Paul said. Off the court, she’s thoughtful and kind. On court, she’s relentless.

Her transformation is noticeable to her teammates, too. Auburn junior Chloe Ouellette says Carrington can shift from uplifting her teammates during practice to zeroing in during a high-stakes rally.

“She’s supportive, bubbly and empathetic,” Ouellette said. “But in games, she’s so locked in. If she gets a block, she’ll yell, and the whole team feeds off it.”

Zoey Carrington leaps to block a ball during one of Auburn’s practices. Across parts of two seasons with Auburn this far, Carrington has totaled 176 digs and 59 blocks. Courtesy of Paul Carrington

Playing alongside Carrington is “refreshing” because of her work ethic, Ouellette added. During practice, she’ll volunteer to demonstrate a drill, consistently hustles and always encourages her teammates. It motivates everyone else to match her energy.

Carrington admits she feels different on the court. Her mind never wanders, entirely focusing on the challenge ahead.

For all her talent, Carrington’s biggest challenge comes from within. Doan and Carrington’s teammates said she’s often too hard on herself. She thinks every mistake is her fault. Because her teammates look up to her, she feels their weight on her shoulders, Doan said.

Emma Wride, Carrington’s teammate, has seen it firsthand.

“She comes off confident, but she’s her own toughest critic,” Wride, a sophomore, said. “Sometimes we have to remind her, ‘Hey, it’s okay. Shake it off.’ But that’s part of what makes her so dependable.”

When she asked a question in practice, it used to come with an unnecessary apology. It was a small habit, but it revealed how much pressure Carrington put on herself.

The pressure drives Carrington to seek examples from college players. She looks to Nebraska’s Andi Jackson, a middle blocker whose dominance at the net Carrington hopes to emulate. When Carrington watches Jackson, she studies every detail, she said.

But even with the immense pressure, Carrington’s best memories come off the court.

Ouellette remembers a trip to Sky Zone when Carrington tumbled into the foam pit and landed next to her. Neither of them could get out, Ouellette said while laughing.

Wride similarly recalls a beach volleyball match where Carrington collided with an opponent under the net. Carrington went up to block a ball and landed on top of them, Wride said. They still laugh about it.

Sophomore Allegra Barbuti also remembers their time in the spring beach league fondly. It isn’t super competitive, but Carrington still displays her in-season energy, recording block after block.

While Carrington’s height, power and vertical jump make her a force at the net, her true edge is her mind.

“Her style is both strategic and powerful. She times her blocks perfectly, and when she hits, it’s with force, but it’s also smart,” Barbuti said. “Her decision-making and court perception are incredible.”

Carrington’s long-term goal is clear: Division I volleyball. She’s working toward it every day, balancing school, travel tournaments and constant training.

Doan has little doubt she’ll get there. For now, Carrington’s focused on improving.

And for a player who’s only just begun her high school career, those memories are stacking up, with no telling how far they’ll carry her.

Published on September 19, 2025 at 9:43 am
Contact Ellie: esrand@syr.edu