GREAT FALLS — Abby Carpenter is a standout senior on Great Falls CMR's volleyball team.
The North Dakota State commit has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman year.
"I don't think I really stop playing volleyball, I probably don't take more than maybe a week off," Carpenter told MTN Sports. "It's the lifting, and the playing, and just constantly studying the game that really prepares me."
As someone who used to take after other players, she said "it means a lot to me" to have her current younger teammates look up to her.
"I've kind of just worked over the years to kind of be that player," Carpenter said. "I had my players that I looked up to freshman year off and on, and then sophomore year, and junior year. I think that now being that player is kind of nice."
Carpenter was also the lone freshman to play on the Rustlers' 2021 state championship team. Since then, she has seen a good deal of improvement.
"I've seen kind of like a maturity growth," Carpenter said. "I've kind of gotten more comfortable as the years have gone on."
Her four years of experience of varsity volleyball shows, and first-year head coach Danielle Woods said Carpenter is "always helping" the younger players.
"When they're playing their game she's always going behind them saying, 'Hey try this, try that,'" Woods said. "She's trying to help build the program for after she leaves."
Soon after the season concludes, Carpenter will be graduating from CMR early to go join North Dakota State's program in January.
She said she is counting down the weeks until then.
"I'm really hoping that it helps me bulk up a bit and get really strong," Carpenter said. "It'll be nice to know like what my coaches expect of me and everything."
The Rustler senior also believes that her move to the next level says a lot about Montanan volleyball players.
"It shows girls — especially in Montana — that there's opportunity to go anywhere, no matter how small of a town, no matter your size," Carpenter said.
Carpenter and the Rustlers have about a month left in the regular season before class AA playoffs begin.
