PULLMAN, Wash. –
Lauren Johnson joined the WSU Volleyball team earlier this season after playing at South Lyon High School in Michigan. Johnson ended her high school career as the program's all-time career blocks leader and broke the single-season total blocks record. She appeared in three matches for the Cougs before suffering a season-ending injury.
We recently had the chance to sit down with freshman
Lauren Johnson
How did working through your back injury in high school help get you where you are today?
I would say in high school there wasn't a lot of pressure on me. I was just there to have fun and enjoy the game. When I was suffering my back injury it was affecting my ability to play and that was obviously not as fun as I wanted it to be. So, I think just really learning the concept of patience and figuring out how to be a good teammate outside of that. My injury for sure limited what I could do on the court, so I was trying to figure out ways to impact the team off the court too. I just learned the importance of being an energy giver and a good communicator and see other things on the court while you're off it, just things that I can still contribute and help my teammates who are on the court. And I think perseverance, like I could've taken that as a sign to take some time away from volleyball or maybe just not put in as much work. But I feel like I persevered through the adversity and was able to work really hard regardless, and I eventually overcame the back injury and I'm really glad I did. I thought with that level of pain, there's no way I can play with it, but I just put in a lot of work with rehab and PT, and I'm definitely glad I moved past that.
How has working with our athletic training staff helped get you to where you are today?
I would say they've boosted my confidence so much, I already had low confidence coming into college just from past experiences on other teams. Then with the injuries, it kind of felt like another hit, I felt like I couldn't catch a break. But the athletic trainers here did a great job at keeping spirits high and keeping me motivated even on the days where I just didn't feel motivated. I would say in terms of that, they did a really great job at keeping me in a good mood, keeping me in high spirits, and making sure that it wasn't just me who felt like I was putting in the work. They were putting in the work too, they were doing the exercises with me, every exercise I did they've done before, and they know what it feels like. I would say that helped me build a lot of confidence, even when I wasn't doing everything that I wish I was capable of doing. Tthey still made me feel included in the team, in practice, and all that kind of stuff because they believed in me and knew that I would overcome it.
What is something that you like to do off the court?
I'm a pretty artistic person, and I'm really into fashion and music. I like listening to music, both before practice and just in my everyday life. I'm a big R&B and Rap person, so right now I'd say my favorite artist is probably Rod Wave and I'm a big Drake girl. And yeah, SZA and Daniel Ceaser too, those are all my faves. I would say my top three favorite songs are Who Knows by Daniel Ceasar, this is not in any particular order, Leavin by Rod Wave, and Changing by Rod Wave. And then I really like to go thrift shopping, especially since I've moved out here, I've tried some different thrifts and stuff and I went to Seattle for the first time and checked out the thrift stores there, which was really fun. I like thrifting a lot because it's kind of a time consuming thing. If I have a lot of free time that I don't know what to do with I can always go thrifting. I feel like the excitement that I get from finding a piece that I really like after searching for so long through pieces that are maybe not so good. And then finding that and it being cheaper too is always a good perk. And then I like hanging out with friends and getting to know people outside of the team too, that's pretty important to me.
How has your grandfather motivated you?
I could say so much about my grandpa. He is truly what has inspired me to get this far with volleyball. He is somebody who has believed in me from day one, even when I could barely pass a ball over the net. He saw something in me from a young age that I didn't even see in myself, things I never thought I was able to or would be able to accomplish. Even when I was little, he would say, "you're going to go D1 kid, I can see it." There's never been a day where he hasn't been proud of me and hasn't believed in me and encouraged me. And even when I felt like everybody was against me or, it just wasn't going to work out, even in the recruiting process, when I wasn't sure if I was going to find a school that was really for me, he was always there for me and he always had been giving me support. He actually texts me every day, a good morning text and it's something inspirational for the day ahead of me. He tells me how much he loves me, he gives me something inspirational and he tells me something to look forward to. And I'm obviously out with injury right now, so he gives me a lot more encouragement. But when I was still playing, like before practice, he would send me something about working harder, being determined for practice, and then before the games. It was never anything structured, it was always to say do your best and have fun and be a good teammate. And he was like, "I know that you will always put your 100% effort in, so don't worry so much about the results just worry about the experience." I'm very grateful for him. He's been really supportive.
How has the transition from high school to college been?
Oh, different than what I expected, but not in a bad way - I graduated early. I left high school one semester into my senior year, and then came here basically already halfway into the year for most college students. That part was probably the weirdest to me just because it wasn't a normal transition from high school to college that most students have, because I came midyear where most people already have their friend groups and they know their routines and stuff. I didn't get the whole orientation experience that everybody has where you have to be here for the whole summer and really slowly ease you into everything. For me, I got on campus on January 2 and classes started on January 6. I didn't know where I was, didn't know anybody, I was very lost for the first month and a half, and it was just a lot of new things all at once and very overstimulating, I'd say. But I think it was also a really good growth moment for me, just because it really put me out of my comfort zone. I've never moved before, I've lived in the same house my whole life, so moving 30 hours away was definitely a big change and challenge for me. I think I handled it really well and kind of embraced the uncomfortableness and I'm really happy with how it all worked out. I was scared that I was going to regret my decision of missing out on my second half of my senior year, but I think I've already improved as a player and become a better person from that experience. I'm happy it worked out the way that it did.
What's your favorite memory of volleyball?
I would say on my high school team, my junior year. We were at a tournament, and we were playing the number-one ranked team in the state. It was a private Catholic school, which usually they'd end up winning everything. My team was a little bit, I wouldn't say inexperienced, but we were definitely expected to lose that game. And I remember we battled really hard and we were playing against someone who now plays at Nebraska and other commits who are at other big schools now. I remember the first set, we beat them and it was just an energy rush that none of us had felt before. I think it instilled a lot of confidence in the team and in the players, and I believe we ended up winning the actual game itself too.
What is something that other people might not know about you?
I'm a very empathetic person, which I've had a lot of people kind of tell me that they've been surprised by, because I'm obviously a very tall person. I can come off a little bit intimidating; I don't have the nicest looking resting face. So sometimes people's first impressions of me, I've been told, is that I'm just intimidating, but I'm actually quite the opposite. I feel deep down in my heart, I am very empathetic. I always want to be there for people, I'm a big gift giver, stuff like that. I feel like one thing about me is I love having deep conversations with people, and I think on the surface it doesn't seem like I would, but that's one of the things I cherish most about my connections with people, having deep conversations.
What has been your favorite part of Pullman so far?
Probably the summer weather. I'm from Michigan, and I would honestly say the weather here is pretty similar, but in Michigan we get a little more snow and it's not as windy. I really liked the summers here; this was my first summer and it was hotter than it usually is in Michigan and sunny almost all of the time. I'm also really into tanning in the summer, so that was good for me and the wind was kind of cooling me off at the same time.
What has been the best piece of advice you've been given?
I would say to not put so much pressure on yourself. I'm someone who has had really high standards for myself. I hold myself to the highest bar possible, and that usually results in me putting a lot of pressure on myself and not so much on anyone around me, it's always internal. And I've learned a lot about how that can affect your mindset, how you play, and how you communicate with others. So, I would just say not putting so much pressure on yourself and enjoying the experiences. It's kind of what my grandpa taught me, being a good person, but also how to face adversity, challenges, and come out on the other side of it positively. I think, especially playing at this level of volleyball, it can be hard to not put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform. I think it's important to remember why you're here and who you're here for, rather than the stats on the stat sheet.
