As the school year comes to an end, several seniors are preparing for the end of their athletic careers at Marymount and looking forward to continuing to play sports next year at the collegiate level. Abigail Keith, a member of the Crew team who will be attending University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall, and Caitlin and Michaela Keefe, who will both be playing volleyball at Stanford University next year, shared their experiences and their hopes for the future.

How long have you been participating in crew/volleyball?

 AK:  I started my freshman year in high school. 

MK: I started playing volleyball in fifth grade for my school team and started playing club at a more serious level in seventh grade.

 CK: I have been playing volleyball for as long as I can remember. I grew up hitting the ball around with my parents and sister, probably before I could even walk, and ever since then it has been my favorite thing to do.

What have you enjoyed most about crew/volleyball at Marymount?

AK: I enjoy seeing all of my hard work pay off! 

MK: My favorite part of playing volleyball at Marymount is the bonds I’ve made with all of my teammates. Our volleyball team is extremely welcoming and inclusive and brings a group of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors together. I’ve learned a plethora of useful information and life lessons from my experience with Marymount volleyball. I’ve learned the true meaning of working hard, giving your best effort, and facing obstacles. Our double day practices, 4:45 am wakeups, and intense strength and conditioning schedule have enabled me to learn to push myself to my limits both physically and mentally.  

CK: My favorite thing about Marymount volleyball is my teammates. It’s really hard to wake up every morning at 4:45 for practice but having teammates who are going through the same thing and supporting me the whole time makes it all worthwhile. They are probably the only people on this planet who can make me laugh before 5:30 in the morning.

What will you miss most about crew/volleyball and the athletic program at Marymount?

AK: I will definitely miss my teammates and coaches the most. I will also miss traveling to fun races with them.

MK: Next year, I will sorely miss all of my teammates, fans, and the entire volleyball community here at Marymount. It will be a very different experience going from a small school high school team to a Pac 12 college team. 

CK: I will really miss the support from the athletic program at Marymount. Between volleyball and basketball I developed really strong relationships with my coaches, teammates, and teachers who always came to support. I will miss talking about my games with all of my teachers the next day in class and just the overall support of the Marymount community.

What are you looking forward to next year and in your future crew/volleyball career?

 AK: I’m looking forward to being challenged every day and discovering what I’m capable of.

MK: I am looking forward to improving my game next year and hopefully making my way into the starting lineup of Stanford’s Indoor Women’s Volleyball team. I am looking forward to making new friends, getting to know the entire Stanford volleyball team, the coaches, trainers, and staff. I’m excited to start my new strength and conditioning program and increase my vertical jump and physical strength. I hope to eventually help my team win an NCAA tournament championship as well as win the PAC 12. Eventually, I look forward to playing volleyball overseas, possibly in Europe.

CK: I’m very excited to get to know all of my teammates and coaches next year at Stanford. I have met everyone and they couldn’t be any nicer, and I am very excited to play with them. I will also be playing against some of the best volleyball players in the U.S. and I can’t wait to learn from them and grow as a person and as a player.