Former LSU graduate Michelle Waguespack starts her year where she left off in 2005, playing volleyball for her hometown school.Michelle went to LSU in 2005 and did not play any intercollegiate sports despite her performance at E.D. White High School in Thibodaux.

In high school, she earned 16 letters during her career in volleyball, basketball, softball and track, while also acquiring a Wendy’s High School Heisman State Semifinalist recognition.

After preparation for the Lady Colonels’ road trip to the Residence Inn-Kennesaw Great 8 Volleyball Challenge, Michelle sat with The Nicholls Worth and answered a few questions.

Q: What are you majoring in?

A: “I have a degree in biology from LSU, and I’m doing alternative certification for teaching here at Nicholls.”

Q: So are you in graduate school here?

A: “It’s a graduate program, but it’s not actually graduate school. You don’t get a master’s. You do your education classes, then you do a year internship. It’s to be certified to teach.”

Q: How do you balance volleyball and your major?

A: “Teachers at Nicholls are really good about working with the athletes. For volleyball, Coach always says school comes first. Do what you need to do cause when you come to school, you’re a student first and an athlete second. Everybody is pretty much willing to work with everyone else.”

Q: Do you plan on getting your master’s degree?

A: “I want to go to medical school. That’s been the plan since the beginning. Plans toward that goal haven’t been applied yet, so we’ll see.”

Q: What are some differences between LSU and Nicholls?

A: “Huge size difference. Around here it seems to be much more community-based. You see people you know often, and classes are smaller. It seems like everybody knows each other. LSU is more like you go to class and you go home, then hang out with your friends.”

Q: Why didn’t you try to play sports at LSU?

A: “I think after high school I was kind of worn out. I played five varsity sports in high school.”

Q: What type of things do you do to stay busy off-the-court?

A: ” I’m a computer addict, so Facebook. I like hanging out with my friends. I love to go to Grand Isle. I love to fish, and I love going to Baton Rouge to hang out with my old friends.”

Q: Are you superstitious at all?

A: “I used to be more so than I am now. Just a couple little things I used to do. When I was in high school, every time I went back to serve, I would make the sign of the cross. If I didn’t, I’d bounce the ball four times. If I didn’t and something went wrong, I would blame it on that.”

Q: Which team has given you the hardest competition so far?

A: “The hardest team we’ve played is Oklahoma University, which is a Big 12 team. They were pretty big! They were good, just put it that way.”

Q: What would you say has been your best volleyball moment?

A: “I guess my senior year of high school during the LHFA All-Star game. There was this one dig that I will never forget. The girl hit it down the line, and I got it somehow. I was horizontal in the air. It kind of hurt coming down!