For the most part, Lauren Ford is a pretty typical freshman. She's a bit quiet, excited to be at college and is slightly apprehensive about her first exams. She leads her volleyball team with .96 blocks per game, and has 2.6 kills per game.
Since arriving at Madison from Indianapolis, Ind., the freshman middle blocker has made her presence on the volleyball court known. When Ford arrived, she had the raw talent to compete but lacked some of the discipline. Since then, Ford has benefited from the experience she has gained at the college level, excelling on the court and surpassing the expectations of everyone, even herself.
\Coming into the season, we weren't sure if we were going to decide to redshirt her just because she was a little new to the game at a high level,"" Head Coach Pete Waite said. ""We knew she had tons of potential for the future, but the way things shaped up for us on the court, we needed somebody with a big block jump and somebody to be a big target on the attack and she fits those needs for us.""
Teammates praised Ford's outstanding athletic ability.
""Athletic-wise, she's as good as you're going to get,"" senior middle blocker Lori Rittenhouse said. ""She's agile, has got a great vertical, great muscular build and she's got the instincts for volleyball.""
However, along with the triumph, Ford has also displayed some frustration on the court.
""There's times where she gets frustrated with her game, especially defensively,"" Waite said. ""Just about every freshman goes through a period of time where they don't think they're good enough to actually be on the court.""
Like most freshmen, Ford has experienced some awkward moments, but she has grown in the last month.
""I think she's coming into her own, finally, and it's showing on the court'she's trying to get more comfortable trying to do things,"" Rittenhouse said.
Ford benefits from the strong senior leadership the team provides her and her freshmen teammates.
""The seniors especially have helped me a lot,"" Ford said. ""Byrd, Rittenhouse, they're good role models and I try to just follow after them.""
Ford, like most freshmen, has had to make an adjustment to new classes, new friends and living away from home. But Ford also has the challenge of incorporating volleyball into her daily routine, which can add to the exhaustion most face.
""When I get home, I just want to hit the sack and never wake up,"" Ford said, laughing. ""If I go to [the Fetzer Academic Center] before I go [home], then I pretty much get all of my homework done there [and] I can go home and hit the sack.""
Ford is learning to make that necessary adjustment in order to succeed at a large-scale university, both academically and through athletics.
""I think she's learning all the time, just like anybody else,"" Waite said. ""She's in a new place. She's still in a transition where she's trying to make some friends on campus, but she's pretty much on track the way we'd expect freshmen to go.""
The smile on Ford's face says she enjoys playing volleyball in college, despite the extra stress of school and volleyball coupled into one hectic season.
""I like the fans,"" Ford said. ""I like the atmosphere at the Field House with the home games.\
