Photo by Emei Thompson
Today I had the pleasure to talk with Arianna Neumeyer. Neumeyer, a sophomore, was named Midwest Conference Offensive Volleyball Player of The Week. She helped lead the team to a 3-0 sweep against Midwest foes Beloit, Lake Forest, and Ripon. During this run Neumeyer compiled 49 kills, six aces, 40 digs, and two blocks. The volleyball team has now won five in a row.
Shane Farrell: How did it feel to beat Beloit, Lake Forest and Ripon all in the same week?
Arianna Neumeyer: It was quite exhilarating, considering Lake Forest and Ripon are top rivals of ours. Not only did we beat our rivals, but also contributed to our five-game winning streak. It was definitely a highlight in our season.
SF: How do feel you played in those games?
AN: That week of games was one of the team’s top performances of the season. Everyone did their job and executed the plays like we were supposed to.
SF: You lead the team in kills and are in second for blocks. What do you attribute your success to?
AN: I attribute my success to all the hard work put in to this season. From the workouts coach Ayers gives us and the two-a-days of preseason, a lot of time and dedication was needed for the performances given by the team this year.
SF: Do you feel the team has reached the peak of its performance?
AN: I do not believe the team has reached their top performance. We have a chance to make it to the tournament for the first time in Lawrence volleyball history, so hopefully if we made the tournament, that will be our top performance.
SF: After being named to the All-Midwest Conference Second Team for your outstanding performance last year, how do you feel you played this year?
AN: Compared to last years season, I feel like I grew as a player. I’ve become smarter with the choices I make on the court and my abilities have improved significantly.
SF: How do you balance being a college athlete with the academic challenges of Lawrence?’
AN: The volleyball team has a lot of diverse majors which means there is at least one other person who has taken a similar class and they’re all willing to help. There also is a lot of downtime on the bus rides to games to get homework done.