Volleyball Weekly Player Spotlight

Sept. 28, 2006

Lauren Holdorff, a freshman middle blocker for the Lamar University volleyball team, sat down to talk about the 2006 season and what it's going to take for the Lady Cardinals to win the Southland Conference East division.

So far this season Holdorff has 56 kills and 27 blocks. Though new to LU volleyball, she has playing experience with two other current Lady Cards, as she was high school teammates with Molli Abel and Adrianne Meengs.

Q: What has the college volleyball game been like for you, as compared to high school and club volleyball?

A: The pace of the game is a lot quicker. You have to pay closer attention to what's happening on the floor and pick your spots when you are making shots. Training yourself to hit shots according to what is available. It's not about getting better as far as skills go, but more about making smarter decisions.

Q: What do you do to prepare yourself for a match?

A: I used to listen to my I-pod, but that didn't really do much for me. Now I mainly just concentrate on what I need to do. I just focus on what I need to do and mentally prepare myself for the match.

Q: You all are off to a 2-0 start in Southland Conference play, what do you need to do to keep the winning streak going?

A: We have to keep our focus both on and off the court and continue to play as a team. We have talked a lot lately about getting ourselves better prepared mentally, and if we can do that our play on the court will get better.

Q: The first time you all faced McNeese it was your first action at the NCAA level. What was going through your mind and is it different this time around?

A: The first match against McNeese I wasn't really nervous, I just wanted to play. I didn't really know what to expect. Now I know what I need to do to get my job done on the court and I will be better prepared.

Q: With the large number of freshman and sophomores on this team, how do you see the future shaping up for Lamar volleyball?

A: Losing Buchi after this season is going to be a big loss for us, because she is the leader of the team. Different people are going to have to step up and fill the role she plays for us both on the floor and as a vocal leader. If someone comes in and does those things in the future, I we'll be in good shape.