Volleyball | November 03, 2022

Success breeds determination. When one is good at what they do, they want to do it for as long as they can. For Kaitlyn Lund, this meant taking advantage of her eligibility and moving across state lines to play her sport for one more year while furthering her education. 
 
The Birmingham, Ala., native began her collegiate athletic career at the University of Tennessee Southern. She played there for four years before ultimately switching to USC Aiken. Her coaches and the team dynamic heavily influenced her initial decision to play at Tennessee Southern. 
 
"I really enjoyed the coaches there. They were close with my high school coaches and I really fell in love with the team dynamic," Lund said
  
During her time at Tennessee Southern, she had an impressive run, earning all-conference honors throughout her years. In 2018, she was an SSAC All-Freshman Team selection while playing 33 out of 34 matches. She continued this run her remaining years, being a first-team all-conference selection and honorable mention despite her school moving to a different conference. 
 
"We had a super competitive team even in my last two years when we switched to a more competitive conference. It was nice to see all of our stats improve even though it was a tougher group of teams," Lund stated. 
 
After finishing her career at Tennessee Southern, Lund decided to extend her athletic experience at USC Aiken while getting her Master's in Applied Clinical Psychology. USC Aiken was the perfect fit for her between both athletic and academic opportunities. 
 
"I am in the applied clinical psychology program for my Master's and it was really just the fit between finding that program. I came and visited with Coach and it went really well. I was just really excited to play another year. It was just a combination of those that made me come here," Lund said. 
 
Transitioning from team to team has been surprisingly seamless for Lund. Her teammates have contributed to this greatly, making her feel accepted in this new environment.  
 
Lund said, "I did not think it would be this smooth of a transition. All of the girls were immediately super welcoming. Even though I only get one year with them, it feels like I am going to have three more after this. Same with the coaches. They have all made this transition so much easier."
 
Lund is the first graduate student that USC Aiken volleyball has taken on their team. Throughout the season, she has proven it was a more than justified decision as she has helped the team to a winning record overall. 
 
"Coming into this season, I was just excited to get that extra year because when I graduated I didn't know if I was going to be taking my fifth year or not. Just getting a chance to play again was the most exciting part about it," said Lund. "Whether I was in practice or games, just being on a team again has been the best part."
 
College athletics teaches many lessons that athletes carry with them for the rest of their lives. For Lund, It has taught her structure, teamwork and learning how to be confident in herself. 
 
"I am going to miss everything, especially the structure of it. I know how to get everything done with the limited time I have now," said Lund. "I have learned how to be confident in myself and faking it until I am."
 
Upon completing her Master's, Lund hopes to take her qualifications in Clinical Psychology and work as a Sports Psychologist after graduation.