Oct. 29, 2015
By Anita Nham, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" Senior Lara Caraway dreamed about playing Division I collegiate volleyball since she was a 6-year-old.
Her mother, Tami Caraway, played volleyball at the University of Nebraska Omaha, and later, coached volleyball. Lara would sit on the bench at all of her mother's practices during the club season. She learned how to keep track of passing stats before she could even write sentences. After following volleyball for so long, it was impossible for Lara to imagine a life without the sport.
Then, four years ago, Caraway's dream of playing DI volleyball finally came true.
"I've grown up playing volleyball and wanting to be a great volleyball player because my mom coached and played it. It's family," said Caraway. "She's my inspiration for volleyball. She's awesome."
Even though Caraway is miles from home, her mother constantly supports and encourages her.
"[My mom] makes a lot of the home matches," said Caraway. "She usually goes to the Ohio State match because we live right in between. I think she went to every club tournament and my practices three days a week. She's been everything for me."
Volleyball was not the only thing that was inspired by her mother for Caraway to pursue. Outside of volleyball, she has a passion for sports, anything physically active, as well as, reading mysteries, like books written by Agatha Christie. Nevertheless, her favorite hobby in the world is photography.
"[I got into it] again from my mom," said Caraway. "She was a bit of a photographer when I was younger, and she always pushed arts and music, and I just really enjoy photography. I love taking pictures, and capturing things that people don't normally see."
When Caraway was applying for colleges to follow her dreams of playing collegiate volleyball, she always kept her eyes set on Penn State.
"The reason I picked Penn State was because I wanted to be a better player leaving the program than I was coming in, and I knew Penn State was the place for me," said Caraway. "People were intense, and they try their hardest every day, and that's something I want to be a part of. I want to be part of a place that got better, not expected the best, but worked for it."
Though the adjustment to Penn State's volleyball program wasn't difficult, it was a whole new world for Caraway in terms of courses. For high school, Caraway did not attend classes with other students; she was home schooled in the Mars Area School District in Mars, Pa., where she still played high school volleyball for the district and club volleyball, too.
"It was definitely a big difference," said Caraway. "I went to a classroom of just me to a classroom in my freshmen year of 600 people. It was different, but I liked it a lot. I like going, seeing and being in the big classrooms and learning like that, but it definitely took me a couple of months to get into it."
Since her four years at Penn State, Caraway has been a valuable asset for the team.
"She's a lot more confident [now]," said head coach Russ Rose. "She's always been a really good team player…She goes into matches, and she knows the expectations for her as she enters the game. I think she plays the game the way we need her to play it."
Caraway has also noticed some growth in herself, both on and off the court.
"I've grown in all sorts of ways," said Caraway. "On the court, I've definitely gotten a lot faster, picked up my skills a lot and grown as a person. Just playing for this program makes you really tough, makes you focus, definitely more mature, and it feels like it takes you from high school and gets you ready for the world."
In addition to volleyball, Caraway is part of the Student Athletic Advisory Board, is on the leadership team for Penn State Student Christian Athletes and does a lot of community service.
After graduation, Caraway hopes to work in strength in conditioning, especially within high school athletics.
"I want to try to help [athletes] make their goals of making it some place like Penn State or any place that they want to," said Caraway.
The adjustment to college was a little challenging for Caraway during her freshman year, but ever since coming to Penn State, she would not change a single thing about it.
"I love being here. I love the friends I've made, on and off the court. There are so many memories," said Caraway.