Ally Low is a first year-student here at DePauw. She also is the setter for DePauw’s volleyball team.
HerCampus: Congratulations on your successful volleyball season so far! What’s it like being able to handle a college-level sport on top of school and other activities?
Ally Low: Thank you!! It definitely is not easy, though. Having three hour practices every day, being gone on the weekends, and sometimes having to miss class and leave early makes it difficult to keep up in school, but it is certainly possible. You just have to find a schedule that works for you and stick to it and not put things off.
HC: Are you involved in any clubs here at DePauw?
AL: I am also a member of APO (service fraternity); we are just getting started in our service hours, but I’m very excited to be a part of it! I’m also in the humane society volunteer club, though I won’t be able to fully participate in that until after season is over.
HC: What do you do to prioritize your time?
AL: When I first got here, I wasn’t the best about prioritizing my time. But it’s come easier as the semester goes on. I try to take advantage of my time in between classes by prepping for other classes, working on assignments, or studying. Then after practice and dinner, I dedicate 2-3 hours to studying each subject or doing whatever I need to do for my classes. On Sundays I’m usually on campus because we’re typically only gone on Saturdays, so I take advantage of this time by cleaning my room, doing laundry, doing homework and studying and planning out my week to see what due dates are coming soon or what tests I have coming up.
HC: Do you have any advice for prospective students wanting to play in college?
AL: If you love a sport enough to play at the collegiate level, definitely go for it! It’s an amazing thing to be a part of a team and is an opportunity I’m so thankful for. You should realize it will not always be easy, but you learn a lot along the way and it’s definitely worth it!!
HC: Why did you choose DePauw?
AL: I chose DePauw because it encourages a broad academic experience, provides endless opportunities I wouldn’t get from other colleges and it will challenge me to grow as an individual both academically and personally.
HC: Lastly, what do you love most about volleyball?
AL: The sport is definitely very complex and technical and forces you to think a lot. It’s very challenging as a player, and I feel like I’m always learning something new. It is such a mental game, which really forces you to be more level-headed and optimistic when it comes to any situation.