Edgar Ayala – Sports Writer
Seniors Megan Carman and Kelly Gunneson of the Southern Connecticut’s volleyball team will be suiting up for one last time, as they head into their final season for the Owls.
Carman and Gunneson, who also serve as the volleyball captains for SCSU, both said they were unhappy about the idea of leaving Southern and the volleyball program.
“It makes me sad to know that this is my last competitive season playing volleyball,” Carman said, “especially since it has been such a huge part of my life for so many years now, I’m going to miss being on the court.”
This will also mark the second year in a row that the duo are appointed as team captains, bringing an end to their leadership roles on the team and making way for new ones.
In addition, Gunneson said being named team captain for Southern was one of her biggest accomplishments as a student-athlete, but like Carman, has agreed that it won’t be easy to say goodbye to SCSU.
“My four years here have gone by really fast,” said Gunneson. “I will miss everyone at Southern; my teammates, coaches and friends that I have made along the way.”
Gunneson, a secondary education and mathematics major, first played volleyball at the age of 11 at a park and recreational clinic in her hometown of Cheshire, Conn.
There she attended Cheshire High School where she was an All-State, All-Conference and an All-Area selection for the Rams, helping them win four division titles, two conference titles while still appearing in two state semifinals.
Sports aside, she wants to take her major in secondary education to pursue a career as a high school math teacher.
“I enjoy working with kids and doing math,” Gunneson said. “My major gives me the opportunity to do both in my future career.”
On the other hand, Carman is currently majoring in exercise science human performance, to pursue a career down the road in sports medicine.
“Just being around sports my whole life and my willingness to help others pushed me to want to go into the Sports Medicine field,” Carman said.
Carman, originally from Mesa, Ariz. attended Mountain View High School where she was the head captain and was named Most Valuable Payer in her high school.
Yet, she said her biggest accomplishment has been finding a passion in volleyball and not having to feel like its “work.”
Furthermore, Carman added that her reasoning behind joining Southern from Arizona was to experiment something new in her life, stating what better time to do it than in college.
An athlete since the age of 10, Carman has been playing volleyball for 12 years and thanks all her coaches for adding to her volleyball career, especially her current coach Lisa Barbaro.
“If there’s one thing I have learned from Coach Barbaro, it’s to be discipline,” Carman said. “ If we aren’t going to be discipline than why be in the gym.”
Coach Barbaro had a tough season opener this past weekend, as the team managed to play four games in a span of two days, losing their first 2 games of the season against Dowling College and Post University.
SCSU volleyball is still looking to bounce back from a 2014 season that saw them go 7-22.
But this is a new season; the lady Owls look to prove their ranking of No. 12 in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, to overtake any challenge thrown in front of them.
Photo Credit: SCSU Athletic Communications
