The Article below was published in Vol. 137, Issue 1 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on September 17, 2021.
By Ean Goldstein ’23
Staff Writer
Sophomore women’s volleyball co-captain Mary Gegen led Lake Forest to win three out of four matches to start their season at the Forester Invitational on September 3 and 4. Throughout five total games this season, Gegen leads the Foresters with 53 kills and is tied with four other Foresters for a team-leading 18 sets. In addition, Gegen was recently named the Women’s Forester Athlete of the Week by the Lake Forest College Athletic Department. Stentor Staff talked to Gegen about her and her team’s recent success on the court.
Where are you from?
Rochester, Illinois
What is your major?
Environmental Studies
How long have you been playing volleyball?
7 years
Besides volleyball, what is your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Anything outside—running, hiking, swimming, biking, paddle boarding.
What is the hardest part about playing volleyball?
Mentality—it’s an error-based game, so we have to be mentally tough enough to recover when we make those errors and move on to the next point.
What was it like playing in the Forester Invitational?
It was incredibly exciting. Last year, due to COVID-19, we would never have been able to draw a crowd like the one we had this past weekend, but the energy in the gym was unmatchable and I think it’s what kept our team playing hard through all four matches.
How does the addition of fans in the stands impact you while you’re playing?
It was great to see how many students care about supporting us, especially other teams on campus who know what kind of difference a big crowd can make during an intense game. For me personally, having fans is always a good thing; they help me shake out my nerves and just focus on playing hard and having fun.
What do you do to prepare for a big game?
The day before game day, we normally work on fine-tuning skills and plays at practice, then we recover overnight to be ready to play. On game day I go to meals with my teammates, and we spend the day hyping each other up so we’re energized by game time. We’re also sure to tell people we see in our classes and in other places around campus to stop by the game to support us!
What is it like to be named a team captain in only your sophomore season?
It was definitely a surprise, since I’m young and I’ve never played a real season at LFC before. But our junior captain, Izzi Visnjevac, and I found a good dynamic quickly. I think our teammates respect us and are comfortable with us taking charge.
