When Kamryn Hunt was in the transfer portal after her sophomore year at Ohio University, she already knew something about the University of Dayton that most volleyball recruits don’t get to see on a visit.
She’d played there.
Her first year at Ohio, Hunt’s team traveled to Dayton and got reverse swept, blowing a two-set lead before losing three straight. But it wasn’t the loss that stuck with her.
“I remember just leaving Dayton. I was so upset that we lost, and I was genuinely just jealous because of the atmosphere that I just played in,” Hunt said. “There was the band, it was probably one of the most packed games I’ve ever played at, and I was just jealous that that’s how the Dayton community supported women’s volleyball.”
When her coach left Ohio University and Hunt entered the portal, UD called and she already had her answer.
“They kind of had a leg up, just because I was already there," she said. “I talked with the coaches and the players, and I just loved where everyone's heads were at, the culture was good, and it was just a winning environment.”
Her parents had a point to add: a degree from UD would carry her far beyond volleyball.
Finding Her Footing in the Classroom
Hunt’s junior season at UD was the kind that earns awards. She led the Flyers with 429 kills, earned Atlantic 10 player of the year, American Volleyball Coaches Association all-region and honorable mention All-America honors, and helped UD go undefeated in the regular season to win the conference title. Then came a recognition she didn’t see coming.
She opened her phone one day and found out she’d been named to College Sports Communicators’ academic all-America first team, the second Flyer in program history to earn the distinction.
For Hunt, this recognition carried extra weight. Hunt had struggled academically for years before being diagnosed with ADHD during her sophomore year of high school, right in the middle of COVID-19, when shifting between online and in-person schedules made everything harder.
“It just kind of explained why all my years of school leading up to that were hard and just difficult,” she said. “I just didn't do well academically at all. It was definitely just a wake-up call.”
From there, she got deliberate about understanding how she learns. At UD, that process continued with support from Krista Horsmon, the team’s leadership coach, who meets with players weekly to work through everything off the court and the mental side of the game.
“I opened up and talked to her, just what works best for me, how I want to be coached, basically how I respond best to things,” Hunt said. “That was super helpful.”
When the academic All-America honor arrived, it reframed something she'd long been hard on herself about.
“I didn’t realize how far I’ve come with that, and how hard I’ve worked in the classroom to achieve that, when I didn’t know it was even possible,” she said. “I used to beat myself up sometimes academically, with just not being able to focus, not being able to finish things in a timely manner. So, that was sweet.”
There's Really No Place Like It
Now a communications major finishing her degree in December, Hunt is excited about the possibility of playing professionally in the future with hope for a long-term career in pro sports after that. On the court, she’s hungry heading into her senior year with a rebuilt roster and unfinished business after last season’s early A-10 tournament exit.
But what she keeps coming back to is the same thing that made an impression on her as a opponent: the way UD shows up.
“There’s really no place to play like Frericks Center,” she said. “Just the way that the community supports each other, I feel like it’s hands-on, everyone’s hands-on for our team’s success."
Growing up Catholic in Sylvania, Ohio, Hunt says UD’s Marianist values felt familiar.
“I appreciate just how kind and sweet and genuine everyone is,” she said. “I feel like there’s always someone who has my back, whether it’s my teammates and my coaches, or just other people in the community who want people at Dayton to succeed.”