Athlete of the Week: 10 questions with Keenan Roderick, New Trier volleyball

Keenan Roderick is a senior libero and co-captain for the Trevians. He will attend Lehigh University next year.

1. Do you have any prematch rituals or superstitions?

I do. I have to drink a coffee before I play and I have to touch each of the (net) antennas before I play.

2. Why is Lehigh a good fit for you?

The size of the school is really good for me. I really like the personal connection and I really like the location on the East Coast, close to New York. I am very interested in the finance program they have there. It’s a well-rounded fit for me and exactly what I was looking for.

3. What is your dream job?

I think I would want to be a professional golfer. I feel like that would be an awesome job to have. I love golfing, love being out on the course, but I don’t think I quite have the skill.

4. How did you first get into volleyball?

I was introduced to it by my teammate actually, Jackson Gilbert, in sixth grade and at the time, I was playing three or four other sports and volleyball was kind of in the rotation but not the main focus. As I grew up, it slimmed down — just football and volleyball and then golf and volleyball and just volleyball senior year.

5. What do you enjoy about the game?

I love the energy and quick pace of the game. I think it’s so fun you can make one play and have the gym going crazy and right after that it can swing and you can feel crushed. It never feels good to be that team but I love the momentum and how energetic the game is overall.

6. If you could try another sport, what would it be?

I think I’ve gotta go curling. I think it would be pretty awesome to be good at curling. On spring break I talked to a dude from Canada and he was very excited and emotional to tell me about curling. It’s something I gotta try sometime.

7. What has been your top sports moment so far?

This might come out as irrelevant but the JV championship game against GBS was some of the most fun I’ve had playing volleyball. This year, playing against Maine South, was an unreal game. I love those rivalries. They are so competitive and emotional. Those games definitely stick with me forever.

8. If you’re in Walgreens with a couple bucks, what are you buying?

I think I’m going to go with a Snickers bar and probably like a Gatorade (yellow). Keep it simple, get some electrolytes.

9. What is something people don’t know about you?

I would say I’m a pretty open book but one thing people don’t know is I can make a clover with my tongue.

10. What can this team accomplish this season?

I feel great about how we have been playing. I’ve been really impressed with that. We are handling a little bit of adversity right now … but I think we can turn it around really quickly and go on huge upswing. I have a lot of faith in our team and our guys. I think we can make run in state, but we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves.

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