LIVING A DREAM

After Recovering From ACL Knee Injury, I Play for God’s Glory

Champions' TriBUne 8/18/2022 11:00:00 AM

Champions' TriBUne Archive

By: Lauren Harrison

Champions' TriBUne is a special feature through Baylor Athletics that gives you the student-athlete's perspective and the chance for them to share their own story. Lauren Harrison, a fifth-year senior from Stone Mountain, Ga., is a two-time All-Big 12 first-team and AVCA All-American Honorable Mention pick after earning All-ACC honors in 2019 at North Carolina. After graduating last December with a degree in journalism and minor in business administration, Lauren is currently working on a master's in Journalism, Advertising and New Media. Picked second in the Big 12 preseason poll, Baylor Volleyball will open with an exhibition match against Texas A&M at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Ferrell Center:

Early Stages of Volleyball

Growing up, my parents always told me and my brothers that we had to play sports or a musical instrument. Although I played my fair share of instruments, I decided sports was more my niche. I fell in love with tennis and played it for about five years. One day, I remember feeling like I had outgrown the sport and it was time to try something new. I chose volleyball, because my third-grade teacher was really tall and had played volleyball in college.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 11 years old and going to my first volleyball camp. I was so excited, but very nervous at the same time. After that first camp, I kept bugging my parents to sign me up for more volleyball camps. Eventually, I tried out for my first club team. I was the tallest player on the team, so almost by default, I played middle blocker. Although one of my primary jobs was to block the ball, I really just wanted to hit the ball as hard as I possibly could. I vividly remember my parents sitting on the sidelines and seeing their faces light up when I got one of my first kills. At that moment, my 11-year-old self felt like she had accomplished something so big. From that point on, I fell in love with the sport of volleyball.

As I continued to get better through the next few years, I eventually started getting recognition from college coaches. I was in the 8^th grade when I received my first college letter and remember telling myself, "Wow, you actually have what it takes to play at the next level!" I continued to play on club volleyball teams and trained to sharpen my skills. By the age of 15, I was getting a lot of interest from various schools. A few months before my 16^th birthday, I committed to play volleyball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was so excited to have made such an important decision in my life and volleyball career. At the age of 16, my club team won AAUs and Nationals at the highest level, otherwise known as "open." In the world of club volleyball, that's a pretty big deal. I remember spending so many hours in the gym that season, so it felt good to see all the hard work pay off. What I didn't realize until later was that I had sacrificed many social events to be in the gym. As a result of that, volleyball became my identity.

Trials Turned to Testimony

The day was May 3, 2018. It was the last week of senior year, and the senior girls were playing the junior girls in a game of powderpuff flag football. My mom had told me the night before, "Lauren, you shouldn't play powderpuff, because there's a chance you could get hurt and not be able to play your freshman year in college." Me, being a competitive and sometimes hard-headed teenager, I of course didn't listen. I told myself, "You have sacrificed so much for volleyball, just play powderpuff and have fun."

It was almost halftime, and I was running down the field. I'm not sure if I tripped or just slipped on the turf, but I remember falling to the ground. As soon as I fell, I heard a loud pop and knew immediately that something was wrong. I tried walking it off like everything was fine, but deep down I knew I had just messed up something in my knee. That whole night, I searched Google, trying to see if I could self-diagnose myself. The next day, I got an MRI and the doctor called soon after with the results. I called my dad about five times that day, but he didn't pick up or call back, which is unusual for him. That made me think something was wrong. My dad walked in the door later that afternoon and told my mom, "She completely tore her ACL." I remember sitting on the stairs, bawling my eyes out, and thinking to myself how long the road ahead was going to be. I wasn't going to be able to play the sport that brought me so much joy.

A few weeks later, I had my knee surgery. And then, six days after surgery, I moved to North Carolina to start my college journey. Afraid was an understatement to describe what I was feeling. I remember watching my parents walk out of the dorm, with tears rolling down my face, because I was going to be on my own for the first time in my life. In those first few months of college, I learned the true meaning of tenacity, resiliency and determination. I pushed myself to give 110% in rehab and to walk around campus on crutches instead of taking the shuttle to class. During my time away from the sport, I also learned that volleyball was not my identity.

Before I left for UNC, my parents told me there would be days when things wouldn't go my way, but that I could always lean on God. He was the one constant factor in my life. Little did I know, I was going to implement that advice sooner than expected. On the days when rehab was hard and I became more and more homesick, I decided to open the Bible my parents had given me. My aunt also sent me Bible verses to keep me encouraged and my spirits high. Reading various Bible verses gave me peace and reassurance that God had something special planned for me after my knee was healed. It reminded me that He was going to walk with me and some days carry me through the adversity I was facing. A verse that really stuck with me throughout the entire rehab journey was Deuteronomy 4:31 – "For the Lord thy God is a merciful God; he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers, which he sware unto them." That verse is the reason behind my jersey number (31).

After eight long months of rehab, I was finally cleared to play. When my coach stopped practice to give me the news that I was cleared to play, tears began to roll down my face combined with a big smile. I thought to myself, "Finally, I can return to the sport that I have missed so much."

When the fall rolled around, I was so excited to play in my first collegiate game. I had waited over a year to compete. As the season went on, something deep down told me it was time to move on from UNC. It was scary to think that I would be leaving all my friends and the comfort of being close to my home state of Georgia. But, after the season ended, I decided to take a leap of faith and enter the transfer portal. At that point, I had no idea what the process entailed or even what schools would reach out to me. That night, Baylor sent me an email and wanted to set up a phone call for the next day. I talked to them on a Tuesday, and three days later I was in Waco on my official visit. I really had no idea what to expect when I arrived, but I was excited to be on the hunt for a new home. When I arrived, the staff and players welcomed me and my parents with open arms. This felt like home. Baylor is the perfect mix of high-level volleyball and great academics, which were both really important to me as I looked for a new school. Since Baylor was my first visit after entering the transfer portal, I had a few other visits planned. But, as I headed back to the airport, I canceled the rest of my visits before calling coach Ryan McGuyre and letting him know that I wanted to accept his offer.

A New Journey Begins

It was January 2020, and my parents were helping me move into my apartment. I was so excited to have found a new school. Surprisingly, no tears were running down my face as my parents left this time. All I felt in that moment was excitement. I had a new school and new teammates and the opportunity to make new friends. I began to make new friends, but then COVID hit just as those relationships were starting to build. I went home for spring break, not knowing that I would be there for five months.

In the fall, we started our season with limited fans and a bunch of regulations to protect us from COVID-19. It was not how I expected my first season at Baylor to start, but I was just excited to be out there playing. Along with those rules and regulations came not being able to hang out with my teammates who were not a part of my house. This was hard, because the only time I got to build relationships with my teammates was at practice or when we were playing games. Other than that, I was in my "bubble" with my three teammates.

On the court, I had a fairly substantial role. I was playing three rotations, so I had to make the best of my time on the court. Nevertheless, while I was on the court, it was always my goal to put the ball away and be a consistent player that my teammates could always rely on. My first game with Baylor, we were playing at Kansas and ended up losing that game. During that game, I was pretty nervous, because I felt self-imposed pressure to make sure Baylor lived up to the standards that were set the previous season. The next day, we played Kansas again and won in three sets. The nerves had left my body, and I was playing freely. That year, we went on to make it to the Sweet 16, which was my first time making it to postseason. I also was named an All-American that year.

The 2021-22 season was very unique. We were a team loaded with talent. That was the first time in my career that I had 22 other teammates. At first, it was quite challenging to connect with every single player. But, as the season went on, the team grew closer together as a whole. At the beginning of the season, there was a time when I felt as if I was not playing like myself. The Lauren filled with confidence and joy from the previous season was nowhere to be found. I felt so much doubt and timidness on the court. After a few weeks of feeling that way, I came to my senses and realized this is not who I am. I am not the player who just hopes I can score a point. I am a player who plays with confidence, swagger and joy. Playing against the University of Florida was the turning point for me. I felt like I was finally playing like myself again.

Playing at Florida was the first time I had played that close to home since transferring to Baylor. Going into the series, we were definitely the underdog. To beat them not once but twice on the Gators' home court was special. Those two matches were also special for me because, for the first time in my college career, my grandparents were able to watch me play in person. They have always been big supporters in every stage of my life, so seeing them sitting in the crowd meant a lot to me. That season, we went on to beat a top-ranked Texas team for the first time in my career and made it back to the Sweet 16.

Going into this season, my role will look slightly different. As one of the three seniors on the team, it will be my job to lead vocally and by example.

Grateful

As I look back on my college career, all I can do is be reminded of the younger me who started playing volleyball out of pure love and excitement for the game. If my younger self were able to meet the Lauren I am today, she would probably be freaking out. I dreamed of playing college volleyball at the highest level, and that dream is my reality. Although I have faced some trials in turning that dream into reality, I would not be the person I am today without making it through those tough times. I am forever grateful to my parents and the people who have made an impact on both my life and volleyball career. Every day, I thank God for giving me the talent and opportunities to compete in this sport. For that, I play for His glory.