Caroline Jurevicius thought she’d played her last volleyball game with her younger sister, Ava, after the two won a high school state championship together. Then, Ava called to tell Caroline she had committed to Penn State. “I was driving when she called me, and I screamed — almost swerved off the road,” Caroline tells Her Campus. “It was just such a cool moment to realize that I get to do this again with my best friend.”
Now, the sisters are teammates at Penn State, where they’re learning how to balance college, volleyball, and their finances. For the 2026-2027 season, Venmo is teaming up with a new roster of NIL athletes for its second year of college athlete partnerships. The company is kicking off with Money Moves, a program highlighting how student-athletes are using their NIL earnings in meaningful ways, including giving back to the people and communities that have supported them.
For Caroline and Ava, that support starts close to home. Caroline plans to use her Money Moves to give back to the people in her “village,” while Ava wants to give back to her parents for the sacrifices they’ve made. Below, Her Campus spoke to the Jurevicius sisters about their journey as sisters and teammates, their 2026 season, NIL, and what life’s like for them outside of volleyball.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Her Campus: You both grew up playing volleyball, and now you get to play together at Penn State. What has that journey been like for the two of you, and what does it mean to you to have the opportunity to be teammates at this stage of your athletic careers?
Caroline: Knowing that we spent so much of our childhood and young adult life playing volleyball, it’s definitely something that’s demanding. It gets hard, there are rough days, but having my sister — who’s been my best friend throughout all of her 19 years — means a lot to me. We had two years together in high school, we were able to play on the same team, won a state championship together, and I thought that that was going to be our last time playing together. Then she goes and commits to Penn State, and I just got so excited realizing that we got to do it all over again. It was just such a cool moment to realize that I get to do this again with my best friend, and it’s been a fun journey.
Ava: Caroline and I, we’ve done the early morning workouts, we’ve done the late-night workouts, and we know how to push each other. When we have a mental block, we know how to get each other out of it or steer each other in the right direction. I think that’s the special part of having your sibling on the team with you, because no one knows you like your sibling.
HC: What’s something you’ve learned from each other since becoming teammates that you think has made you better players?
C: Ava definitely teaches me to not be so hard on myself, and sometimes it really is not that serious. I tend to get in my own head a lot — and she just makes me laugh 24/7. I was injured throughout the spring, and she was too, so we were just in the corner of the gym together, hanging out. Days would get hard, but she was always the one that would make me laugh. We called it “jester time,” where she would just entertain me. Stuff like that just brings joy to my day, even when things do get hard.
A: When practices get hard, it’s so easy to create a mental block or think “I don’t want to do this” or “I don’t want to be here,” but Caroline’s always the one telling me, “You got it. Just keep pushing,” or, “Work harder for this next session.” She just helps me get out of my head, and that’s something I really appreciate because she’s constantly pushing me.
HC: How would you describe your dynamic on the court, and would you say it’s different from how you are with each other off the court?
C: I really don’t think it’s different between off the court and on the court. I think we’re pretty consistent with that. It’s always funny because our teammates always make comments about how it’s so fun playing with sisters. Again, it’s the fact that she makes me laugh in so many different moments — we could be playing in the most serious game of our lives, and I will start laughing. It lightens things up and just allows you to play the game with joy.
A: I’m gonna differ from that. I think on the court, since Caroline does get in her head a lot, my role in that moment is to calm her down and just tell her it’s going to be OK, we’re just playing volleyball. But off the court, we can mess around with each other and I can make fun of her. I’m not gonna make fun of her on the court because I know she’s going to get in her head even more. There’s moments to back off and moments to push.
HC: You’re officially a few weeks into another season at Penn State. What are you each most excited about as you look ahead to the 2026 season?
C: Our gym is just so talented right now. We have such a good group of freshmen, transfers, and girls who have played their entire time at Penn State. Every year is a different team — it’s just a bunch of different people coming in from all different walks of life, and it’s so fun seeing how everybody connects. I enjoy walking into the gym every single day because of the group of girls and the support staff that we have around us. I’d argue that Penn State has the best support staff and the best group of girls in the entire country,
A: I would also argue that we have the most competitive gym in the country — we’re screaming at each other through the net and all that, but it’s all out of love because you just want to make the person next to you better. This year is going to be super fun because we have a ton of talented players, there’s so much support, and it’s a fun environment to be around.
HC: You’re both taking on NIL opportunities alongside being full-time student-athletes. How have these experiences helped you grow or prepare for life beyond college volleyball?
C: From a financial perspective, it allows you to get a taste of the real world pretty early — a lot earlier than you would have before NIL became a big thing. It gives so many athletes an opportunity to get ahead in life, considering that one day, the last ball is going to drop and you’re going to take off the knee pads for the last time. So, how you financially prepare yourself through NIL opportunities in college, you’re setting yourself up for life.
A: Finances are such a big part of life, and just learning how to save, put it in the right direction, and ultimately understand it is an amazing head start. I use Venmo all the time, so I’m learning how to save, pay people back, and it’s a part of my daily routine now.
HC: Venmo’s Money Moves program highlights how athletes are making the most of their NIL earnings. How have you each chosen to use your NIL earnings in a way that feels meaningful to you?
C: Going back to the gratitude for the people who are around us and push us every day, I will be using my Money Moves to give back to the people that have made this program special and helped me get where I’m at in life. There are a lot of people in my “village,” and it’s just a matter of making sure they feel seen and know how grateful I am for their presence in my life.
A: My family has been in my corner the entire time. My Money Moves is going back to my parents — my dad would wake up at 5 a.m. with me and go work out, my mom would drive me to practice every day and wait for me to be done with practice, and I just want to pay them back for every sacrifice they made.
HC: Outside of volleyball, what are some things you’re passionate about, or hoping to pursue during your college years?
C: A lot of what I do is centered around getting off technology, whether that’s baking, reading, or hiking. I also like doing things for other people. For example, one of our freshmen had a birthday today, so I went and got a bunch of flowers from Trader Joe’s, and I’m sitting in my car pre-practice organizing them so they look perfect, and I put them outside of her locker. I love doing stuff like that. It brings me joy.
A: I love to fish with my dad. I love going outdoors — just being with him and having him teach me those things. But I also love to travel, so I’m hoping Venmo can help me save so I can travel the world, which is ultimately my goal, and to hit all seven continents. Having my finances in check would allow me to actually achieve my dreams.