Athlete of the Week: 10 questions with Serena Bauer, New Trier volleyball and track and field

Serena Bauer is a senior outside hitter and three-year varsity player for Trevians volleyball. She is committed to Claremont McKenna College in southern California. Bauer also is a state-qualifying high jumper for New Trier track and field.

1. Do you have any prematch rituals or superstitions?

None come to mind, but we always do the same warmups as a team. We all do the same diving — to the right, left, forward — and break it down in the middle. We go through the same warmup and pregame hype, running through the hallways … for home games.

2. What are you doing next year?

Next year I am going to Claremont McKenna. I committed there about a month ago and I’m really excited. That’s the kind of school I was looking for. I wanted a really good school, that was a main thin, and Division III seemed really appealing to me because I could have a balance between my sport and school and life. And when I visited it was a beautiful campus, and coach did a good job of selling the program and culture was something that … I was looking for.

3. When did you get serious abut volleyball?

I started playing volleyball when I was in seventh grade. I didn’t start playing club until that year and didn’t really get serious about it until maybe freshman year. I was a little bit of a late bloomer. It wasn’t until high school, when I started considered playing in college, when I started working a lot harder.

4. What is your favorite moment on a volleyball court?

Probably when I was a sophomore and I was playing up on varsity in the playoffs and playing Loyola in the sectional final. I was playing during the last couple points and it was very close. So my favorite moment was when we won that game. I got a kill like the third-to-last point. There were so many people there, and it was such a surreal moment. The whole gym was packed. Even if some of the girls I wasn’t super close with, they supported me and encouraged me because I had never played in front of a crowd like that before. It was so much fun and something I’m going to remember.

5. When did you get started with track and field?

I started doing track when I was a freshman. My parents did track in college and high school and both really loved it. They both played other sports, too, and said I have to try it. Volleyball has always been a main thing for me. Track gives me a break from volleyball. I’ve made so many new friends with track. I mainly do high jump, which is what my dad did and said you have to try it at least. And I ended up really liking it. It’s a little more laid back than volleyball … and I honestly love the coaches and the girls are some of my favorite people.

6. What is your favorite thing to do with your free time?

I like to hang out with my friends and all that stuff. I go to the gym a lot. One thing a lot of people don’t know is I play piano. I don’t take lessons anymore, but I do it for fun. I’ve been playing since I was a little kid. But a lot of my time is taken up by volleyball and homework.

7. What is your dream job?

Something that I’m interested in lately, and it’s kind of random, but I really like the film industry — directors, producers, camera operators. I think it’s so cool how movies are made. That could be way too far fetched, though.

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

Probably either a Diet Coke, I drink a lot of Diet Coke, or watermelon Sour Patch Kids are my favorite candy.

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

I used to dance. I was a ballet dancer from age 4 until seventh or eighth grade. That was my main thing when I was a kid. I was big into dance. I loved my studio. I miss it a lot. It could have been fun if I pursued it.

10. What are some keys to New Trier volleyball success this season?

We have a lot of seniors this year and I know we all want to win really badly — we’ve lost in the same spot (the last three years). Some focuses are staying disciplined and focused on the little things … playing hard and keeping our core values in the front of our heads, controlling things we can control, staying loud on the bench, staying dialed in and having good team culture and practices. Those are some of the things that are going to be a key for us.

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