Beach Volleyball

How Nebraska Changed My Life

N Our Voice By Lexi Sun

by WMT Manager
Scott Bruhn/Nebraska Communications

A lot of athletes talk about love at first sight when being asked about their sport.

Well, in my case, it was a bit of a different story. 

My very first volleyball practice didn't necessarily end the way I was hoping for—I was running towards my parents sobbing in tears.

You should have seen the mortified look on my coach's face that day.

But it wasn't anything he had said or done.

No, I just thought I was bad. It's that simple. I was convinced I didn’t like the sport and I made a mistake by coming out.

It was my parents' decision to give this sport a shot, simply because I was a tall girl and they wanted me to try something different. 

But fortunately, I was wrong. It just took me a while to realize it.

Today, I can proudly say that I owe a huge chunk of who I am to volleyball. The sport took me on a journey that would change me in ways I never expected. 

The Right Choice

The start of every journey always begins with a choice. Mine was either volleyball or soccer. I played soccer for eight years growing up, and it was my first love as a sport. But I also knew I couldn’t continue on playing two sports if I had any hopes of competing at the next level.

So I decided to stick with volleyball. The sport that crushed an 11-year-old girl after her first practice.

It wasn’t an easy decision, but I felt like my abilities were more aligned with playing volleyball than they were with soccer.

And yes, Mom and Dad, you were right.

Once I committed to the sport, it took a hold of me—the competition and the relationship I had with my coaches and teammates, it was just so much fun.

Early on, I never thought I was any good. Or differently put, it wasn't something I was overly focused on. For me, it was all about having fun and making memories. 

But while making those memories, I was also being recruited by multiple schools and winning awards. Coming out of high school, I was even named the #1 prospect in the country.

I was super blessed to receive those accolades, but they also turned into overwhelming expectations as I started to make the transition to college. These awards also come with immense pressure that isn't talked about a lot.

When I tried to meet all of those expectations, things got pretty bad for me for a while. I went from having fun to always being worried about what other people thought of me.

Not only did it start to change how I felt about the sport, but it changed how I felt about myself.

"Every single week, I began to meet with a sports psychologist to focus on Lexi the person, not just the volleyball player. I obviously love the sport but I wanted to be known for more than that."

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The Fight for Mental Growth

Things didn’t get much better until I made the decision to transfer from Texas to Nebraska.

I wanted to take on new challenges and experience something different. During my official visit, I could already feel a sense of belonging and community that was incredibly captivating.

I always kept hearing about the love of Husker nation and how there’s no place like Nebraska. Admittedly, I thought it was all just part of the recruiting process at first.

As soon as I committed and that information was made public, the love and support from the Husker fans rained down on me. I’d never felt anything like it. Going from an unknown to receiving that kind of support—it was just crazy to me.

It didn’t take me long to fall in love with the program either. The entire team was a close-knit group, and that was apparent to me from the very first time I stepped foot on campus.

This new environment was like a blessing for my mental health as well.

Also, our access to world-class resources. 

Every single week, I began to meet with a sports psychologist to focus on Lexi the person, not just the volleyball player. I obviously love the sport but I wanted to be known for more than that. 

Those meetings have also helped me deal with my concerns with the thoughts of other people. I learned how to be more present in the moment and simply enjoy playing volleyball with my teammates. I basically fell in love with the sport all over again.

There was just a lot of pressure, and I was so nervous to mess it all up. I had to change my entire mindset to grow beyond those fears. That realization gave me a better understanding of why I felt the way I did. 

More importantly, it gave me the power to correct those feelings. 

I feel like I’m a completely different person from the second I made the decision to speak with a sports psychologist. 

I’m still growing so much in that aspect, and it’s shaping and changing everything else in my life. 

The Reason Why I Do This

I’ve always been a very closed off person. I was translating my mental struggles from volleyball to my personal life. I tried so hard to be what everyone else wanted me to be instead of simply being myself. It was a long search, but I finally found myself inside of me.

I also found a deeper relationship with Jesus in these uncertain times during the Coronavirus pandemic. I’d love to have an opportunity to play in my final season and win a national title, but I’m also not going to focus on things outside of my control.

I’m not in control. God is in control.

Everything is up in the air. If we do have a season, I’ll see how it goes and make the decision if I want to continue pursuing volleyball after school. 

But that’s the furthest thing from my mind at this point. I just want to enjoy the time I have left and focus on building the sort of brand that can hopefully inspire others.

Speaking of, the best thing that’s come out of everything I’ve done are the messages I receive from little girls telling me I’ve inspired them to play volleyball. It brings me back to when I was a little girl running and sobbing in the arms of my parents. Crazy to think how that one practice paved the way for all of this.

But it's those types of messages that make it all worth it.

I’m just beyond grateful that Nebraska has given me a platform to have such amazing experiences. Without their support and resources, I certainly wouldn’t be the same person nor in the same position. 

"So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Nebraska!"

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image6Celebration Volleyball vs Michigan Nebraska Women's Volleyball Lincoln, Nebraska Game Start Time: 7:00 PM Game Date October 13, 2019 Photo by Isabel Thalken/NU Communications