Staying on the ball

Though it may not seem like it at times, freshman SMU volleyball player Natalie Peters says she is “not all athlete.” In fact, she has a very artistic side to her.

“When I was little, I used to write music,” Peters said. “I’m very artsy. I love poetry, music and film.”

She said that she would even like to try out for some of the musicals and other theatrical productions on campus, but right now, volleyball is her main priority. In fact, this 18-year-old has contributed a great deal to the Mustangs this season as a middle blocker.

The Austin, Texas native came to SMU from Lake Travis High School, a school she attended twice: once her freshman year and then again her senior year. Her sophomore and junior years of high school were spent at St. Michael’s Academy, a private school in Austin.

“I just followed the volleyball,” Peters said.

In both her years at St. Michael’s, her volleyball team won the state championship, and both years Peters was named to the All-Tournament team. She went back to Lake Travis for her senior year because she said that is where the better volleyball was going to be.

“I drive on competition and being competitive,” Peters said.

It was this determination that helped Peters get through a rough time her junior year of high school when she got mono. During this time, most of her fellow teammates were on their recruiting visits, and Peters became afraid that her plans to play in college had been ruined because she was forced to miss almost the entire season, except for the last two games of the state tournament.

“I just worked really hard and ended up playing really well,” she said. “The last match is what most people call my ‘comeback match.’ Then I just continued to work hard in club volleyball, and more colleges were giving me offers.”

Though Peters loves playing for SMU, it is not the school for which she originally thought she would play. SMU was her last recruiting visit, and prior to that, she says she imagined herself playing for Long Beach. However, once she visited SMU, she was hooked.

“As soon as I came here I knew there was not another school for me in the nation,” Peters said.

Though college volleyball involves a lot of practicing and traveling, Peters said she knows how to manage her time effectively from her high school years. In those days, she would work out with a trainer at 5:30 a.m. and go to school at 8 a.m., followed by participation in track practice and club volleyball. She would then go home for three hours of homework.

“For me, college is not that bad,” she said. “Because I’ve always done so much, I think I’ve had an easier transition than most people.”

Peters, a communications major, said education is the most important thing for her in regards to her future. If she decides she cannot leave volleyball, she will either play overseas or play sand volleyball in the United States. However, one of her ideal jobs is to be a fashion coordinator.

“I know like every designer ever and I have like every designer ever because I am so passionate about it,” she said.

For now, Peters can be seen on the volleyball court showing her competitive edge for the Mustangs, achieving a high numbers of kills and blocks every match.