Freshman volleyball player Chelsea Lawrence is enjoying her first year as part of the women’s volleyball team. Lawrence, 18, is a recent graduate from Highland High School in Palmdale but moved to the valley to attend Pierce College and pursue volleyball. She’s now been playing for five years and currently plays middle blocker.
Did you come to Pierce College solely for this volleyball program?
“Yes, I did. Nabil came up to me after a tournament and asked if I wanted to play for him and I said sure, so that’s how it started.”
How was the game last Friday against Santa Barbara?
“It was good. Towards the beginning it was very rocky but towards the third and fourth game we started picking it up. Then with the fifth game, things fell short. We’re watching a lot of film so hopefully we beat them next time.”
How do you feel about your recent plays as well as the team’s recent play?
“I think we did a good job coming back with Santa Barbara but I’m still not that happy that we lost. But I know we’ll get them next time.”
What do you do to prepare for games and what keeps you focused?
“I mostly listen to music before games and during the games I just talk to our teammates and make sure that I block out what the crowd says.”
Who do you look up to as an athlete or try to model your game after?
“I say Danetta [Boykin] from two years ago. She’s a really good player and I know her on a personal level too and she’s a cool person.”
What are your expectations for the team as a whole?
“I think we’re a really good team. Once we all just buy in and really focus on our main goal things will be really, really great. If we lose we just have to keep our heads up, try to beat them the next time, watch a lot of film, be strategical about everything and have fun.”
What’s your favorite memory so far while playing for Pierce?
“It was me, Rachel [Lods], Dani [Mamath], Autumn [Russell] and Darrin [Rice] and we got a point, then we all just ran into the huddle. It was like the biggest hug, we were all smiling and it was so genuine. That’s the best memory I’ve had so far.”
Do some games mean more to you than others?
“Santa Barbara is a pretty big rival. We really wanted to beat them, but I look at every team as the same and I want to beat them all and I don’t want to take it easy on anyone. I just want to beat them all.”
