CHAMP IO s ON AND OFF COUR1' Despite the time commitment that both collegiate athletics and pre-professional degrees required, many players on the Lad; Bisons volleyball team managed 10 excel in both, according to coach .\IercdiLl1 Fear. "\ \'e hm·c a pretty rich tradition ofacademic succcs. in th i~ program,·· Fear said. ''\\'it h l H arding's! addition of health science graduate schools, recruits ha,·c increased. \\"e're seeing more challenging majors, but "·e\·e also met that with g;irls ri-ing LO the occa ion." T he student athletes ·were not the only ones putting in effort co obtain excellence. Scnio1 middle blocker Sara Smith, a biology major, said her coaches and teachers aided in that feat. "[Harding ha J good coaches and good teachers ["·ho1 push you to be your best and allow you to hm-e the opportunity LO stri,-c for that excellence and be at the top," Smith said. The most important thing Fear wamed her athletes to kno\\' wa how much the coachc. ,·alucd education. "It's ob\'iou that the e girls are seeking profes. ionalism in other areas than volleyball," Fear said. '·Volleyball is a great tool to use in your life and your career going forward, but \IT kno\\· that rnllcyball is not the end goal for our Learn_'" According to Smith, playing on the \'Ollcyball team at Harding taught her many lessons that could be used in other areas of life. She discussed the lessons in her inten ·icws leading up to her acceptance into the Univer ity of By Sara Denney Texa pharmacy school. "There were a ton ofopporrunities [int he intcn ·ie\\·] to [show] how being a team relates to pharmacy and how )OU have LO haYe those leader hip qualities and the work ethic to be . ucccssful ,'' Smi th said . ·'There are qualities of a team that make you well-rounded and able to react well to different situations." Smith also aid that ha,·ing other hi~h achie,·ing athlcLes on the team made it easier to stay dri,·en. Senior Abby Glosup, an exercise and sports science major" as another oulstandi ng student on the volleyball team. ·'\\'call ha\·e a good support system for each other,'· Glosup said. "Being able to talk and help each other out \\'ith applications, schedules or just keeping our anity is always a good thing. Kno"·ing \\'C, a a team, arc all going through the same thing keep us moti\·atecl." According to Glosup, this was not the only thing that kept the students moti,,ated. The recognition of academic excellence also moti,·atcd the athletes to do their be tin school. The Lady Bisom ,·olleyball team won the American \ 'olkyball Coaches Association Team ,\cadcmic Award four times in the last fin· years. Smith won sc,-cral academic a\\'ards in hen ollcyball career, including the Capital One Academic All-District award, the C rafton Tull Distinguished Scholars Award and the Great American Conference All- \cademic Award. Senior Abb)' Clomp Jf/; up a teammate again;/ Ouachita Baptist University on Oct. 2 7, in the Rhodes-Reaves Field House. Glosup was an exercise science major with a focus on pre-physical therapy and was named to the 2014 and 2015 All-GAG Academic teams. I Photo rourles_J' of ]eJJ .\lo ntgo111e1:i· \"C)I.IJ.YII \LI. ~ XSI
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==