McArthur a slamming success
With a killer outside hit, a positive disposition, and three academic all-WAC honors under her belt, Liz McArthur is six feet of on-court perfection.
She’s also the main reason the women’s volleyball team has started so strong this season, jumping out to a 6-0 record. With that start, USU volleyball’s best since 1979, the Aggies – and McArthur in particular – are knocking on the door of national prominence.
“It’s a really good confidence booster,” McArthur said of the team’s start, earning them a national ranking of 32nd.
“Half of the game is mental, and knowing you can beat the other team. Confidence is a huge part of volleyball,” she said.
“When you go into your game having won the six previous (matches), you really feel good, like, ‘I can do this.'”
Starting out strong, she noted, has the ability to be detrimental, but McArthur isn’t worried the fast start will go to her teammates’ heads.
“The girls all have their heads on straight,” said McArthur. “It will only be positive. The more you win, the more you want to win.”
McArthur also mentioned team unity games that the team plays together to keep them all connected. These things, along with their close friendship as a team, keep their moral high.
“Being nationally ranked is really a chance to prove ourselves. We haven’t done as well as we wished we would have in the past, and this is really motivating. We need to keep it up.”
The biggest mental part of the game, according to McArthur, is staying calm. “As a freshman, I would get so nervous before games,” she said.
“Now, I just physically calm myself down by not thinking about the game, and thinking about other things. I picture myself passing well, winning the game, things like that. I go in to the game more prepared that way.”
Her confidence has been several years in the making.
“My freshman year was pretty rough,” she said.
“I was so intimidated by the other players, to come in and start playing with them. I didn’t socialize at all, and was not good at managing my time. But over the years, I have really become more confident with myself and my playing.”
McArthur said now, she tries to help new freshman ease into that hard transition by being sympathetic, patient and understanding. She also said she loves the coaching staff, and that they have made her experience here at USU one to remember.
“I always feel comfortable talking to the coaches if there is any problem or issue. They are really open to our ideas; they are great.”
Of course, being a Division I student-athlete is no easy task. The team travels, and misses class, quite often. This is the most challenging part of managing school and volleyball for McArthur.
“When I have free time, I waste a lot of it, and it’s hard to get back on track. Volleyball helps me manage my time. You have to be disciplined,” she said.
Liz’s volleyball career began in seventh grade, when she tried out for her first team after her sister encouraged her to do so. She played basketball and volleyball in high school, but was always “much more passionate” about volleyball.
Constant improvement is high on the list for McArthur. She said she is always trying to get her passing, hitting, and serving percentage higher, and striving to be a “better player, and better teammate.” She plans on being academic all-conference again as well.
“We are here to go to school, ultimately, and that’s really important to me,” she said.
The junior from St. George, Utah is majoring in family, consumer and human development, though she said her plans for after college “change every day.” However, she is sure she wants to work with people.
“I want to go get my master’s and get into counseling,” she said. “Anything working with kids or human services. I love learning about human development and relationships. “
A self proclaimed “goof-ball”, Liz said she is pretty reserved around those she doesn’t know. Once you get to know her, though, she loves to joke around and laugh. She said her older sister is her best friend, which is the hardest part of living away from home.
“The second hardest part about living up here is the winter! I am a warm weather girl,” she said.
Her closeness to her family translates to them rarely missing a match.
“My family is so great about coming to all of the games. They drive those six hours from St. George consistently,” she said.
McArthur said she loves to dirt bike with her family and read. She said she loves all music, and her favorite movies are “Tommy Boy” and “Dumb and Dumber”. She also said she loves to travel. The question isn’t so much, “where has she been?” as it is “where hasn’t she been?” The litany of destinations reads like a modern day explorer’s log, and includes several European countries, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Australia.
“I hope I have the opportunity to travel for the rest of my life. I can’t get enough of it, and I fall in love with wherever I go,” she said.
McArthur is determined to continue to play volleyball after she is finished with school, although she said she won’t miss conditioning. Still, McArthur said she has learned a lot about life through the tasks associated with getting ready for a match, and has become a better, more well-rounded person because of it.
“Sometimes you just don’t want to go lift, but you do it anyway,” she said.
“It makes you a better person. You learn to be mentally tough, to do things that you don’t want to do. You learn about relationships, and you learn self-discipline. You learn how to take criticism. And you learn how to work hard,” she said.
–kayla.clark@aggiemail.usu.edu