Seniors Kristen Hahn and Tenisha Matlock have taken on a new role for their final year at Iowa State.

The ISU volleyball team’s roster is made up of 10 underclassmen and only four upperclassmen this season. As the only two seniors on the team, Hahn and Matlock have become mentors to the younger players this year.

“When you’re beginning, you’re along for the ride and your head is kind of spinning,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “As you mature you want to be caring about your teammates and thinking about them more. I think that’s something we’ve been asking more and more of [Hahn].”

Iowa State graduated All-American setter Alison Landwehr along with outside hitter Rachel Hockaday and middle blockers Taylor Knuth and Jamie Straube following last season.

Hahn and Matlock have been preparing the other players this preseason to take over those positions.

“[Hahn and Matlock] are really helpful during practice, pushing us along and encouraging us and stuff,” said freshmen outside hitter Maria Fruechte. “They’re really good players to look up to and learn from.”

Hahn has experience mentoring. She worked on leadership and communication skills at the USA Volleyball A2 program and helped at kids’ volleyball camps this summer.

With her experience mentoring this summer and preseason, Hahn said she has a “less about me and more about them” attitude. One day, she hopes to turn that experience into a coaching career.

“I think if I have the opportunity I would love to [coach]. I’ve been working a lot this summer at camps and stuff and I just find myself connecting well with little girls,” Hahn said. “Christy [Johnson-Lynch has] been a huge role model for me, and I’d love to do something like that.”

This preseason, the seniors also wanted to spend time with the freshmen outside of practice. Matlock showed the freshmen their new community by taking them to hand out tickets around Ames.

“This year we’re focusing more on our team culture,” Matlock said. “We’ll take them to go shopping for whatever they need in their dorm room or we’ll take them out and let them see what Ames is like.’”