by Written by Lauren Sullivan, USD Media Relations Intern
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Lauren Schad (Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) and Kristen Gengenbacher had busy summers preparing for the 2016 volleyball season. They were each selected to compete on the USA’s National Collegiate Team program this summer in Indianapolis where they practiced and competed with other women from around the country. Although they both noted that this experience has led them to believe post-collegiate volleyball dreams are achievable, their main focus was to incorporate the new skills with their team at USD.
“Something that we can utilize in our season is that we now know some of these players and how they play, or we know what this coach favors based on stories from other players we’ve met,” states Schad. “We can use this to our advantage and work with the team that’s presented to us across the court.”
While Schad plans to use her summer teammates to better understand her future opponents this season, Gengenbacher returned with another approach on her experience this summer. “I took a lot of confidence out of it — knowing that not only can I compete with the best players in the country, but I can be better than the best players in the country,” mentions Gengenbacher. She carries that confidence with her into the upcoming season and hopes to pass it on to the newcomers. “As a junior, I’m becoming more comfortable in my role as a leader on the team so I want to make that known to my teammates and try to get every single person on the team better in some way.”
Both hope to use the skills learned this summer in their upcoming season, stating that it will probably be their most difficult yet. The team starts the preseason with games against Stanford and Minnesota which Schad refers to as “powerhouses.” However, with their boosted confidence and handful of fresh new faces on the roster, both believe they have what it takes to carry out a successful season. “I think it will be the most challenging season but it will be the most fun to see how it plays out because now we actually have options and we’re able to create a dynamic for the other teams that we’re a force to be reckoned with. This will be fun because in the past we haven’t had as much diversity to work with on our team,” says Schad.
Although playing for the USA National Collegiate Team was a game-changing experience for the duo, it was not the only way they spent their summer preparing for the tough season ahead. As a team, they held several open gym practices along with weightlifting three times a week. Additionally, the local club teams hold open college nights where the women were given another opportunity to be competitive with players from teams around the nation. Being in San Diego gives these women an opportunity to play beach volleyball year-round in order to practice during the off-season as well.
Coming up on their last couple years of playing college volleyball, competing with the USA National Collegiate Team has inspired Schad and Gengenbacher to pursue their volleyball careers post-grad. Gengenbacher says, “Especially with the Olympics this summer, I believe there’s a chance that I can be that.” She continues, “Even playing professionally or winning a national championship are things that I thought about when I was little. Now, they’re becoming an actual possibility and I’m starting to seriously think about it.”
However, these girls are also focused on their futures outside of the sport. Schad is studying anthropology at USD and hopes to continue after a year off to obtain her masters. With a dream to work in cultural anthropology, Schad hopes to travel the world with a non-profit to study evolutionary behaviors. On the other hand, Gengenbacher is more ambiguous on her post-grad plans. She is studying communication and theology and is certain that her faith will bring her to where she is supposed to be and what she is supposed to do.
Gengenbacher’s faith is something that has supported her through her entire volleyball career. She has understood that she will be carried where she is meant to be and has been relaxed about the process. Nonetheless, she is not the only one who relies on her background to help her. Schad mentions her culture within the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe has taught her to be a humble person on and off the court. She adds, “The importance of remembering where one came from is emphasized in our culture. When I’m on the court I think about all the people that supported me and got me to the point of playing for a Division I team.”
Culture and faith may have assisted these women in reaching the point of playing for a competitive college, but their dedication and skill is what has kept them successful throughout their time at USD. Attending this summer program with the USA National Collegiate Team is something that was life-changing for Schad and Gengenbacher who come into the 2016 season with the intensity necessary to take on the difficult schedule.
