Volleyball is a big part of freshmen setter Tricia McGowan’s life.
McGowan, 18, is attending BC with a major in business and a minor in art.
She said that she has hobbies and interest outside of volleyball.
“I like to draw, and I like to stay active. I play tennis with my boyfriend and his mom. Mainly I like to draw and do artsy things,” said McGowan.
According to McGowan, her mom inspired her to play volleyball.
“My mom was a volleyball coach when I was little. I have been around it my whole life. I have played since I was 11,” said McGowan.
McGowan, who attended and played volleyball at Stockdale High School, feels that the hardest part about going from high school volleyball to college volleyball is the different people. “There isn’t really that much of a difference, its just new people,” she said.
“There is more responsibility than there is in high school. You are held more accountable for things,”
McGowan said that the team’s chemistry goes beyond just on-court chemistry. “Our team interacts very well with each other,” said McGowan. “Everyone talks to everyone; we all get along.”
McGowan said the toughest part of the game mentally for her is trying to stay positive when she makes a mistake, instead of letting herself get down.
She just brushes it off and keeps her head up, while keeping communication open with her fellow teammates.
Head volleyball coach Carl Ferreira mentioned speed, agility, and great kinesthetic awareness, as the top three attributes for a college volleyball setter.
“A college setter can be best described similar to a point guard or quarterback,” said Ferreira. “A setter must possess good communication skills, good leadership skills. Setter is a very lead-by-example position.”
Ferreira said that McGowan is a spectacular physical athlete.
“She is strong, she has speed, she has great quickness and she is very competitive,” he said. “What I admire about her is her willingness to be adaptable, to acquire some other skills to balance her game.”
Ferreira feels that McGowan has made the transition from high school very well and feels that she has adapted to college volleyball.
McGowan stated that her main goal for the season is to stay positive.
“My goal is to improve in something I am lacking in and to have the coach give me a compliment every once in a while,” she said.