The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Volleyball freshmen reflect on first weekend at Gregory
09.03.2015 | Volleyball
Newcomers Yaazie Bedart-Ghani, Morgan Johnson and Lauren Beard reflect on their first matches at Gregory Gym.
AUSTIN, Texas – When freshman Yaazie Bedart-Ghani took her first step into the historic Gregory Gym last Friday to thousands of screaming fans, she remembered why she chose the University of Texas.
"I love the atmosphere here," she recalled while signing autographs for young Longhorn fans. "The crowd was a big part of choosing Texas."
Bedart-Ghani, a 6-4 outside hitter from Los Angeles, made her first appearance as a Longhorn during the American Campus Classic this past weekend, where she played in all three matches against Rice, UC Irvine and LSU. She had eight kills and two blocks for the Longhorns.
Fellow freshmen Lauren Beard and Morgan Johnson also made their collegiate debuts over the weekend. Lauren Beard, a lifelong fan, said overcoming nerves was her biggest challenge.
"It was crazy," she said. "At first, when they told me I was playing, I was scared. But you just have to go out there and do your best."
The libero from Arlington had 16 digs for the tournament and is only looking to get better.
"I can already see a big improvement in everyone since we've gotten here," Beard said. "I've been trying things I have never tried before in volleyball, and I can't wait to keep progressing."
Johnson, a DeSoto native and middle blocker, also credits much of the team's weekend success to the crowd.
"Who wouldn't want to play in Gregory?" Johnson said. "The crowd pumps us up and gives us so much help and support. This is a dream."
Johnson finished with 15 kills and 10 block assists for the weekend, earning her the Big 12 Rookie of the Week award.
Senior Amy Neal used her own experiences to reflect on the newcomers' jitters.
"You can't not be nervous playing at Gregory," she said. "I really think they did a good job. I know the crowd is scary. It is intimidating, but I think it really got them going."
The atmosphere at Gregory Gym was in full force this weekend, as over 3,000 fans piled into the court to watch the Longhorns sweep the American Campus Classic. With the victory, the Longhorns improved their all-time record at home to 337-53 (.864), one of the best winning percentages in the nation.
"I wanted the big college and the big fan base," said Beard. "And that's exactly what I got."
The Longhorns will return to Gregory Gym this Friday, Sep. 4 during the VERT Challenge as they take on #5 Nebraska at 6 p.m. Texas will also play #4 Florida on Saturday at 2 p.m.
