Since LSU beach volleyball opened the doors to its brand new facility, the players and coaches have preached about the new motto for the team: “Earn It.”
LSU beach volleyball received a new facility on campus for the 2019 season. Since the grand opening, many spectators have said the team deserves this stadium; however, head coach Russell Brock doesn’t agree.
“We haven’t done anything,” Brock said. “We haven’t won conference championship. We haven’t won national championship. We’re still in the process of proving we deserve something this amazing. There’s nothing that’s been done yet. We’ve accomplished a lot but we haven’t proven anything other than we can get better than we were the year before.”
The beach volleyball team truly feels the need to earn their spot on campus. After five seasons of playing down the road and continuously improving, the Tigers are ready for the new challenges that lie ahead. They’re ready to build a true fan base. They’re ready to show LSU that their new facility will not go to waste.
The motto “Earn It” has become a state of mind for the team. It is implemented in practices, in the classroom and looking ahead to upcoming matches. The motto is also used in the player’s everyday life. It has become something to live by and apply to any situation.
“I think ‘Earn It’ can be used in all aspects of life,” junior Kristen Nuss said. “Definitely going into practice, going into every match. We want to keep that in our head.”
As beach volleyball looks at their upcoming season, the schedule isn’t easy. They’re facing 24 teams in 29 scheduled matches. They are going to have to earn their way to a conference title, or even further, and that begins at practice.
“We’re not afraid to say we haven’t arrived,” Brock said. “That’s definitely part of our mindset when we train, when we compete, in practice against ourselves or when we prepare mentally for what the season’s going to look like and what we’re gonna be.”
Every person on the team takes “Earn It” differently. Each person applies it in their own way to however they need to in order to succeed, whether it is to earn the brand new facility, to earn respect of other teams or to earn future titles.
“As far as facility-wise, we’ve been given a great opportunity and it’s time for us to earn this facility,” Nuss said. “Just putting everything we have into this season specifically, ’cause we want the fan base to grow and this being the opening season here we really need to prove that we deserve this.”
For senior Megan Davenport, “Earn It” is the perfect way to wrap up her time at LSU. Davenport said she is blessed to have an opportunity to finish in the new facility and play with teammates who are now like sisters. Davenport is earning it by giving it her all at practice and encouraging others to do the same.
“For me, it means showing up here everyday in a state of humility that recognizes the possibility of how good we can be,” Brock said. “It doesn’t focus on any accolades that we’ve gone before. Every day is fresh and every day there’s goals out there that we gotta find a way how to achieve.”
