NC State women's volleyball player Keri DeMar is double-majoring in psychology and political science, minoring in business, and also learning Chinese in her free time. She managed to spend a couple of minutes with theACC.com to talk about how she juggles her school work and volleyball.
Did you watch the Olympics? What was your favorite sport to watch?
Yes, I watched them. My favorite sports were beach volleyball and women's gymnastics.
What did you like about beach volleyball?
It was exciting to see how the two of them (Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor) worked so well together and their shot selection. It was a good learning tool.
When and how did you get started playing volleyball?
It was my junior year in high school. My friends always told me to come out and play, that it would be fun. I had always said no, but I decided to do it to get in shape for basketball season. After that season I liked it. I played club for one season and that's how I got to NC State.
What other sports did you play in high school?
I played basketball since I was really young.
What made you choose volleyball?
I had been playing basketball for so long I got tired of it. Volleyball was something new that I wanted to try to get good at. I decided it was a better route for me.
Why did you choose NC State?
I wanted to go down South. I am originally from Connecticut, but my dad used to come down to North Carolina for work and I used to come down here (with him). I just like (the state of) North Carolina and NC State and the coaching staff. It is also a big school and I love big schools.
What was the biggest adjustment leaving the Northeast to play for a school in the South?
It would be not seeing my family. I've always been around my family, and now I know I can't go home on the weekends. I think not seeing them and having to become more independent was the biggest adjustment.
What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far as an athlete?
My ability to balance school and volleyball. I think I do a really good job with time management. I get my work done early and when we go away for volleyball trips I'm always ahead on my homework. When it comes time to play volleyball, I'm always working my hardest to get better.
What do you still hope to accomplish in the future as an athlete?
I want to become an all-around player. Since I started playing volleyball late, I don't have a lot of skills everyone else has because I haven't been at the game very long. I think me becoming an all-around player in hitting, passing, blocking and defending would be a great accomplishment.
What do you do when you're away from the court?
I love playing video games. When I'm not on the court or doing school work I'm playing video games. My favorite games are stealth games. Splinter Cell and Halo are my favorite. My favorite sports game is Top Spin Tennis. I have a Xbox and PlayStation 3.
What is your greatest accomplishment off the court?
It would be balancing two majors (psychology and political science) and a minor (business). I am also learning Chinese and still making the Dean's List every semester.
Why did you decide to learn Chinese?
I became very interested in the Asian culture last year. This past summer I was invited by the National Scholar Laureate Program to go on a business delegation around China. I went to Shanghai, Beijing and Sheein and I got to experience what business is like internationally. I just love China. I like how the culture is in everything you do there. I wanted to learn the language - it is different from the Western languages.
What do you want to do after college?
I am thinking about corporate law, going to law school, which is why I'm minoring in business. I'm also thinking about marketing research, where I could use my psychology major and business minor.
What was the best advice you ever received from a coach?
You have to be mentally tough. I think that is very important. Even if you are the best player skill-wise, but if you're not mentally tough on the court in any given situation, you're not going to be successful. I think that has helped me a lot, as both a volleyball player and a person.
What is your gameday routine?
I just listen to music on my iPod. I like R&B. My friends, they laugh because it's slow music, but slow music relaxes me and gets me hyped up for the match.
You were third on the team in kills as a sophomore and you are the second-leading returner...what are your personal expectations for this season?
I expect us to win. We have a lot of new players. Last year we had a losing season - we didn't win one ACC match - so this year my expectation is for us to have a winning season.
DeMar and NC State travel to Colorado Springs to play in the Air Force Classic this weekend. The Wolfpack will play UC Davis, Akron, Montana State and Air Force.
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