Lauren Olzinski '21 Recruiting Profile

I have been active in sports since I was four years old, starting with a church soccer developmental league.  The developmental league did not keep score as it was all about learning to play as a team player.  As I continued to develop more as a team player, I joined the second-grade basketball team where I have videos of my friends and I shooting baskets into the opposing goal, thinking the parents were cheering us on rather than trying to tell us what we were doing wrong.  Of course, we now watch them and laugh about it.  Every year, I added a new sport, giving myself a new experience and a new challenge.  Although I tried out softball and tennis, I devoted most of my time to basketball and cheer throughout elementary school.  The one sport, though, that instantly became my favorite, was volleyball.

When I was not playing sports, you could find me at the beach.  So naturally, when beach volleyball came to our area, I knew I had to try it out. While indoor volleyball is challenging, beach has so many elements you would never expect, and people are surprised when they find they cannot easily walk onto the sand court and play like they do in indoor.  The challenges of wind, rain, heat, and only one other person on the court brought my game, both mentally and physically, to another level.  With it being only you and your partner, I gained a new sense of responsibility because we were completely in charge of playing, strategizing, and reffing.  Ultimately, I hope to continue my growth as both an individual and a team player.