Details Never get past the professor

Through years of development, she has become the barometer of balance that the 49ers need.

“Growing up, I always made it clear when I made a mistake,” Kretschmer said. “I was frustrated with myself, but not because I wanted to give up. I just knew what was wrong and I knew how to fix it. You learn to turn that into composure so that you can be the constant for a team and not overdo it in any direction.”

She took on the role of tour guide in order to utilize her organizational skills and pursue a career as a manager.

Weatherington has seen her arrive at the airport first with the coaches on every trip, even without the patented sprint that was the foundation of elementary school. The coach has no problem allowing her to hand out boarding passes and per diems and put together the team's travel wardrobe.

“Success is in the details, that's how a volleyball coach's mind works,” Weatherington said. “She lines us up alphabetically, she's like a staff member. The fact that we've never had to ask a player to do this and have seen her do it since her sophomore year, we appreciate it more than she'll ever know.”

Emani' Foster came to Charlotte in the same class as Kretschmer. The two shared the field for years – one on the outside, one in the middle – before Foster graduated, leaving a 502-kill gap.

Kretschmer's ability to fill that void has improved year after year. She was the team's catalyst in the second half of last season, increasing her kill total from 77 in her freshman year to 265 in 2023, a career high. Her block total has also nearly doubled, from 72 to 143.

Communication will be even better when junior Lauren Nixon steps into the setter role, replacing fifth-year setter Annika Wetterstrom. And if nothing else, the new distributor will know who to call to get percentages in the game.

Attention to detail is a language that both speak. They worked together in exercises and meetings to find common ground and understanding. Kretschmer's hitting routes were revised again and again to find the right path.

Her passion for finding the right answer is contagious.

“We come to the gym together early and just work on everything,” Nixon said. “The chemistry we've built is a huge credit to her. She's become a leader and won't settle for anything less than perfection. That rubs off on the rest of the team.”

The two gained a head start in the offseason through the German's other passion.

They went to Honduras for a mission trip with Hickory Grove Baptist Church. The two visited local villages and met with families and children to talk about the group's evangelical mission. It was a lesson in appreciation for everyone involved – for the homes they live in, the lives they can lead, and the resources available in Charlotte to grow.

Bonds were easy to form in the mud houses, and the time they spent together on the farm provided a solid foundation to build upon.

Despite the growth, Nixon always knew what to expect from the 49ers' center.

“Lara has had the same personality from the first day I met her to the 100th day I've been with her,” Nixon said. “It can be intimidating at first. But you realize she has so much knowledge and is a genius off the court too. She's funny and I really enjoy being around her.”

“She is a leader in every way.”

Charlotte needs it in 2024.

The squad saw the largest influx of freshmen since Kretschmer's class and welcomed several newcomers, including sophomore Selanny Puente, who came from Weatherford College and the Dominican Republic.

Solutions are Kretschmer's thing: numbers, adjustments during the game, whatever.

The 49ers are happy that the numbers are on their side.