TicketsBearcat to Watch: Laura Lauder
Contact: Shawn Sell
9/2/2003
She is to Bearcat volleyball what Gino Guidugli is to Bearcat football; what Boomer Esiason was to the Cincinnati Bengals during their hey-day of the 1980?s.
?She is the quarterback of our team,? says Bearcat head coach Reed Sunahara. ?If she goes, we go.?
She is fourth year starting setter Laura Lauder, a Louisville, Ky. native and team co-captain for 2003. During her outstanding college career, Lauder has already made her mark as UC?s ?queen of assists.?
Unbeknownst to her, Lauder set the school record for career assists on Oct. 26 of last year in a match against Southern Miss. What made the record even more amazing is that is came in just Lauder?s 85th career match, compared to the 132 matches it took previous record holder Paige Pees.
?Setting the record is a big deal for me,? Lauder says. ?I didn?t realize it when it happened, but when you know you?ve done something like that, it makes you feel pretty good about yourself. Plus, it makes you really appreciate your teammates, they are the ones helping you set the records.?
With another talented group of teammates surrounding her this year, Lauder and company are striving for big things, including extending a school record with a fifth straight NCAA tournament appearance.
?I think we have a really good chance this year,? she says. ?We have been practicing really well and our chemistry is really good. People have good attitudes and there is a lot to look forward to.?
Among the list of things Lauder herself is looking forward to is a Nov. 10 battle with Louisville, her hometown school and the only team picked above the Bearcats in the Conference USA preseason poll.
?There is definitely extra motivation playing against Louisville,? Lauder says. ?I know some of the girls on the team, plus its such a rival for UC anyway. Since we were ranked second in C-USA, we have to show that we are better than that and beat Louisville. That?s one of our main goals.?
With Louisville ranked No. 22 nationally in the preseason coaches poll, Lauder and company know they will have their hands full with the Cardinals, but she?s quick to point out the need to not overlook anyone else on the C-USA schedule.
?Louisville is going to be good, but it seems like the rest of the league is improving every year,? she says. ?It seemed like last year everyone was getting a little bit better, so we have to worry about the other teams too. We just really have to concentrate and keep our play up every game. We can?t go up and down, we have to keep our game up against everyone.?
For the Bearcats to achieve their goals this season, they will have to look for a way to overcome adversity, like the 2-5 start they?ve gotten off to each of the last two years. If they need motivation, they can look to Lauder, who has played with a knee injury suffered during the spring of her freshman year for most of her career. Unlike the past couple of years, this year could be different for Lauder from a health standpoint.
?My knee feels a lot better,? she says. ?I feel different this year, like I can move around more. Of course, I?ve gotten used to playing with a hurt knee,? she adds.
The Bearcats can take a step in the right direction by avoiding the previously mentioned 2-5 starts they?ve gotten off to in the last two years. Lauder has some sound advice for her teammates to make that a reality.
?We need to forget about the bad starts from before,? she says. ?We have to play like we practice and play hard. We need to work out the kinks before we play and figure everything out before we start our first game. I think we can do that because it feels like we?ve been connecting well at practice.?
UC?s success this season will be measured in part by the Bearcats ability to follow Lauder?s lead as the only four-year starter and one of only two seniors on the roster. One aspect the team presumably won?t follow Lauder in is dress code.
?Everyone makes fun of me because my clothes never match,? she says laughing. ?But I just don?t care.?
One thing Laura Lauder does care about is the success of herself and her Bearcat Volleyball teammates. You would have to expect that -- she is the team?s quarterback.