Lees-McRae College senior libero Keenan Freitas is second in digs per set average in the NCAA Division I volleyball rankings but likely leads the country in anonymity.
The 2013 Christian Liberty graduate averages 3.24 dps, more than Stanford junior and 2014 Kamehameha graduate Evan Enriques, who’s 13th at 2.37 dps.
Last season, Enriques was 11th with 2.53 dps and was named an AVCA first team All-American while Freitas, who was 13th with 2.44 dps, went unrecognized.
Hawaii libero Kolby Kanetake finished his senior season ranked 16th with 2.27 dps and landed on the AVCA second team.
Enriques plays in the well-known Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference, which will lose Hawaii to the Big West next season.
Freitas and his Bobcats play in the Conference Carolinas, which is one clue where Lees-McRae is located.
Can anyone pinpoint the state in three guesses?
It’s in North Carolina, and the private four-year college with about 1,000 students sits in the town of Banner Elk, known for its agreeable climate, according to the town’s website: townofbannerelk.org, which also promotes its outdoor activities and has an affable tagline of “Come visit Banner Elk… and who knows, you just might stay!” on its home page.
For Freitas, he found a perfect college fit.
He made an NCSA (National Collegiate Scouting Association) profile and wanted to study wildlife biology.
Lees-McRae was the only college to offer both Division I volleyball and also the degree he wanted.
“I was fortunate enough with the help of my parents, loans, various scholarships offered by the school and an athletic scholarship for volleyball to attend Lees-McRae,” he said. “I haven’t had any conference honors yet but lead the conference in digs and digs per set.
“Lees-McRae has lots to offer. We are in the middle of two ski slopes, lots of hiking, and fishing. It’s very nature-orientated, which I like, and there’s a 12 to 1 student-teacher ratio.”
Freitas holds a 3.1 GPA and will graduate with a wildlife biology degree with a concentration in wildlife rehabilitation on May 6.
Snakes and blues
Snakes are illegal in Hawaii, but Freitas grew up watching the late Steve Irwin on Animal Planet. Irwin often wrestled crocodiles but also deftly handled snakes, too.
“I have always been interested in reptiles,” Freitas said. “Living in Hawaii we don’t have snakes, but Steve Irwin has been a long-time hero of mine. When I got to school, I caught my first snake, a Northern Water Snake, and since then it has exploded, especially the venomous ones.
“I recently did my senior research presentation on a fungus that is killing them off here in the North and South east and made the first range maps of the disease on North Carolina.”
When Freitas first got to Lees-McRae, he also caught the homesick blues.
“I think one of the hardest things for kids who grow up in Hawaii and go away for school is being homesick. I definitely was and wanted to come home,” he said. “My parents (Harry and Sandra Freitas) told me to stick it out one more semester and if I still was homesick that I could finish up college at UH-Hilo. I stuck out that semester and had a blast. I got over being homesick and grew to love the Carolinas and the Southeast.
“I have definitely become more disciplined. My time management skills are also a whole lot better. You grow up a whole lot when you get to college, you kind of have to. When you wake up in the morning you have a choice to go to class or not. You don’t have mom or dad nagging you to get up and go to school,” he said with a laugh.
Digging it
Freitas figured out pretty quickly that it’s a different level of ball between BIIF and college, where the players are stronger, faster and a whole lot taller.
Back in his Canefire days, Freitas was considered a tall guy at 5 feet 11 and played outside hitter. Now, he’s one of the shortest on the Bobcats.
The Bobcats are not exactly a powerhouse. They’re 5-13 and visit last-place Pfeiffer on Saturday. Lees-McRae is sixth in the 10-team conference standings.
Still, Freitas is second in the NCAA in digs per set and leads his conference.
How does a guy who toils in anonymity rank so high in digs?
“The keys to being No. 2 in digs are not hiding behind the block and staying wide,” he said. “It’s nice this year we have an offense that can block and close the gaps and seams, playing defense behind them is a whole lot easier than years in the past. I put in a lot of work in the preseason to improve my game, and it’s starting to pay off.
“I have thought about playing ball overseas in Europe but will be taking a full-time position as an ecological tour guide at Pawley’s Island in South Carolina at Huntington Beach State Park for Black River Outdoors Co. After that, I still want to try and play ball or look for a decent government job dealing with my degree.”
Lees-McRae isn’t as well known as Stanford or Hawaii, but it’s a school that has Freitas’ full endorsement.
“One of the best things about being at Lees-McRae is being so close to nature,” he said. “I can walk outside of my house on campus and go hiking on one of the various trails into the woods. You can also walk down to the river that runs through campus and bring a hammock or just chill on the rocks or go swimming. There are also several large waterfalls near campus that you can jump off of and hang out for the day.”
And if you want to catch a Northern Water Snake, Freitas will be a phone call away for friendly advice.
