CORVALLIS, Ore. – Heading into the 2020-21 year, 24 student-athletes were named to the Cascade Collegiate Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), representing their schools.
Due to another rep needing to drop out, Lindsey Sampson stepped up to be Oregon Tech’s second representative, along with
Abby Kreiser. Sampson is a junior on the Owl volleyball team and chose OIT because of its academics.
“I chose Oregon Tech for its strong academics and small class sizes,” said Sampson. “I looked forward to the opportunity to be in an environment where I knew my professors and program on a personal level, all while playing the sport I love in a competitive conference.”
Sampson knows what it takes to compete in the Cascade Collegiate Conference and excel in the classroom. This past year she earned Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete and All-CCC Academic honors.
“Some demands of being a student-athlete involve being extremely dedicated to both athletics and academics,” said Sampson. “It is a balance of putting 100% effort into the high demand of weightlifting, team meetings, and practices all while staying disciplined and motivated in classes and labs.”
The environmental science major, with a minor in biology, loves the outdoors and sees herself working in the Pacific Northwest after college, where she can continue to explore new places while beginning her career.
“Academically, my best experiences have been with my fellow classmates in the environmental science program, as we are a small program and most of my major-specific classes are with the same people,” said Sampson.
Sampson, who is from Folsom, Calif., has had some good experiences on the court as well.
“Athletically, my best experience was on the road my freshman year during preseason and getting a school-record aces and a high level of digs, which led to me receiving the defensive player-of-the-week,” said Sampson.
When not playing volleyball or studying, Sampson loves to go hiking and camping around Klamath Falls, travel to Lake of the Woods, and have fun with friends like bowling nights.
OIT has allowed Sampson to meet a variety of people, including some influential people in her life.
“Some influential people in my life at school includes my professor, Jherime Kellermann, who is extremely dedicated and passionate about natural sciences and bringing that passion to his students,” said Sampson. “Another is my coach, Dr. Ken Murczek, who has increased my joy for volleyball and displays true love for the sport.”
This year looks a little different for the defensive specialist as the coronavirus pushed the season to the spring, but Sampson has seen some positives.
“COVID-19 has not been too detrimental to my day-to-day life as I can still enjoy the outdoors where there are less people and I still have the amazing opportunity to practice and play volleyball in the spring,” said Sampson. “However, it has limited my ability to see family who live around the country.”
Sampson might have been a late add to the CCC-SAAC committee, but she is excited to get started.
“As a member of the CCC-SAAC, I hope to be a true and honest voice of all the student-athletes within the conference and help make a difference to create the best experience possible for future athletes,” said Sampson.