Carson Hibbs has never settled on a sport, so why start now?
A three-year volleyball player at Sierra, he's looking into playing basketball at the next level.
“I played a lot while growing up,” he said. “I've always wanted to see if I can make it at the college level.”
Hibbs bounced from sport to sport in his younger years, dabbling in soccer, football, swimming and baseball. Boys volleyball was made available to area schools in 2017, but Hibbs did not give it a shot until his sophomore year.
“It was a new thing at the school at the time and I just wanted to see if I can be good at it,” he said. “It was different, but accepted the challenge
and it was a lot of fun.”
His past as a basketball player and natural instincts and jumping ability served him well in volleyball. The 6-foot-1 outside hitter earned a spot on the All-Valley Oak League second team his first season and joined then-senior Cyrus Hunter as a first-team selection in 2019. They're the only three-year varsity starters so far in program history.
The Timberwolves' improvement coincided with his. They struggled to start, going 1-19 in league and 3-34 overall in the first two years. They began to show progress in Year 3 under new head coach Jane Schneider.
Sierra finished 11-14 and again missed the postseason, but expectations were higher for 2020.
“I feel as though the team got better every year,” Hibbs said. “The talent was better and so was the coaching, which is what propelled us to get to where we ended up this season. Unfortunately, our season was canceled.”
For the first time, Sierra finished a season with a winning record at 5-4. The team won three of its four matches in the Stockton Classic, capturing a consolation title.
Three of the losses were to top-flight clubs from the area — Lathrop (9-2), West (10-6) and Big Valley Christian (5-1). The Timberwolves started their annual tournament on March 13 when San Joaquin County recommended temporary closures of schools and school activities. The rest of the season was officially canceled on April 3.
Hibbs ended his shortened senior season as the team leader in kills with 34 and 1.5 per set. Although he is eyeing a possible college career in basketball, he is not ruling out volleyball.
He'll attend Modesto Junior College for two years and intends to transfer to a CSU or UC to study sports medicine and pursue a career in sports physical therapy.
“It was great,” Hibbs said of his two-plus years with Sierra's volleyball team. “When I first started I never thought I would enjoy it as much as I had. I'm going to miss it. I'll miss the interactions with my teammates in practices and everything in general, like playing in tournaments. It's something I'll never forget.”
SALUTING SENIORS OF SPRING: Carson Hibbs
Sierra volleyball standout may give college hoops a shot