The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/544673
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS leyball here that would be incredible. I emailed Mark [Rosen], the head coach, and asked if he needed anyone or wanted anyone to play, and he initially said they were full. "After he saw me play a few weeks later, though, he offered me a walk-on spot." Getting into Michigan is not an easy task, but Lerg achieved that as a student before volleyball was ever part of the picture. "I've always been very academic focused," she explained. "I remember in my second grade class we would win 'lottery tickets' based on our grades, and that's where I learned to love school. The better grades you got, the more lot- tery tickets you got to spend on things. I was super competitive and I wanted to be the best, so I would always try to get the best grades. "I got into Michigan on academics alone — which I'm really proud to say. Vol- leyball came later, sort of as a bonus. Academics have always been so important for me and my family, and my future. My parents were both academically driven and worked really hard, and they've instilled that in my siblings and me." Because she didn't even know it existed, Lerg probably didn't necessarily want a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar Award, but that's what she received following a stellar sophomore year in the classroom. She was able to juggle the rigors of a Michigan education along with the demands of a volleyball career, and did it at an extremely high level. To be a distinguished scholar you have to be in your second year of eligibility and possess a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or above that academic year. "I didn't even know it was an award until Michigan tweeted it," Lerg said. "I didn't have the best freshman year in the world. It wasn't horrible, by any means, but to really focus on my studies during my sophomore year, play vol- leyball and achieve that award was very satisfying. That has probably been my proudest moment here at Michigan." One of Lerg's favorite activities when she isn't studying or practicing is making weekly visits to Mott Children's Hospital. She has been given a new outlook on life after spending time with the youngsters going through much more difficult times. She also helped coach a club volleyball team last season at Cliff Keen Arena. When her career at Michigan is over, she hopes to do something sports- related. Lerg is enrolled in the School of Kinesiology as a sports management major in order to achieve that goal. "Sports have always been such a big part of my life that regardless of what I want to do, I figured I could do something with sports," she said. "Sports man- agement allows me to take an abundance of different classes that can lead me in many different directions. There are so many options, which was really attrac- tive to me, and I'm excited for the direction of my life after Michigan." — Brandon Brown