Bendigo to
Baltimore
This talented teen has always stood head and shoulders above her classmates. Now she’s reaching new heights on the volleyball court, playing in the elite US college system. By Raelee Tuckerman As a child, being tall was a bit of a burden for Lauren Cox. But at 19, it’s become one of her biggest assets. Stretching the tape measure to 193cm, or 6ft 4in on the old scale, Lauren’s stature and skills combined have seen her flourish as a volleyballer and grow in confidence, too. The former Bendigo girl recently accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County – a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division One school and the reigning America East Conference volleyball champions. She began her UMBC freshman year in August. “It was very overwhelming when I was younger, being a foot taller than everyone else,” Lauren says from her dormitory after an evening training session. “I remember being at a theme park when I was five and the ride operator said I was a threat to the other kids because I was so much bigger than them, and that I’d have to come back later with the 10-year-olds. Mum said, ‘no way’. “All through primary school, I was taller than all the boys so it was a bit strange. But now it’s such an advantage – I’m the tallest on my team and everyone wishes they had my height so it’s been a blessing in disguise. I’m grateful for it now and wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Lauren’s life is a whirlwind of lifting weights, individual and team practice, travel, games, recovery sessions and study. When she spoke to Bendigo Magazine, the rookie middle blocker and right side hitter was about to embark on an away-game road trip to New York. “It’s very full-on. We leave early Thursday morning for Albany, train that day and play on Friday; travel to Binghamton on Saturday and play there Sunday; get home around midnight Sunday and I have a class at 10am on Monday. There’s no time to sit around!” She’s one of seven internationals on the UMBC Retrievers’ volleyball roster, alongside athletes from Serbia, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Bulgaria. “It’s comforting knowing there are six other girls on the team who understand what it’s like to be so far away from home and not be able to have your parents just take a flight and watch you play on the weekend,” she says. Lauren was a squad swimmer and played netball and basketball before taking up volleyball for fun as a co-curricular activity at Girton Grammar in year seven in 2015. Before long, she was invited to join the Bendigo Academy of Sport and her career quickly took off, much to her surprise. “I’d only been playing properly for a few months and my coaches suggested I try out for the School Sport Victoria under-16 state 93
