Myrick Making Herself At Home
October 01, 2021 | Volleyball, Joel Coleman
State junior has settled in as a leader for the Bulldogs after transferring in from Lipscomb.
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State outside hitter Lauren Myrick was in a unique spot.
It was last year and Myrick, then a sophomore, had just transferred to the Bulldogs from Lipscomb. Myrick had always dreamed of playing for a Southeastern Conference school and here she was, living out her goal at MSU. Despite that, things were far from easy.
"It was kind of hard just because I was living with a bunch of people that were older than me," Myrick remembered. "Then I hurt my thumb and I was in a cast for a few games during the season and then it was like a revolving door with my position. I didn't have a lot of confidence, so it was hard."
A Louisville, Kentucky, native, Myrick was having trouble finding herself down in Mississippi. Between being in a new place, living with an older group, and oh by the way, trying to adjust to it all during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, times were tough.
Now a year later, all that seems so long ago. Myrick has made herself right at home at Mississippi State and the Bulldogs are rolling, in large part, because of it.
Heading South
So how did Myrick wind up at MSU in the first place?
She spent her freshman year in 2019 displaying a bright future at Lipscomb. She appeared in every match as a newcomer, finishing fourth on the team in kills. However, Myrick wanted more.
"When she hit the transfer portal, I called Lipscomb coach Brandon Rosenthal to find out what was going on there," State head coach Julie Darty Dennis recalled. "[Rosenthal] explained that [Myrick] wanted a bigger feel and had done a nice job for them as an attacker her freshman year, so we knew she was a kid we should check on and look into."
Dennis went to work trying to attract Myrick, but there was only so much Dennis could do. This all came during the recruiting dead period caused by the COVID pandemic. That meant Myrick couldn't take an official visit to MSU. If she was interested in Mississippi State, she'd have to check things out on her own dime.
"She did come down here with her mom and it was a great fit," Dennis said.
The rest is history.
"I loved the campus and the coaches are really nice," Myrick said of her first impressions of MSU.
"A lot of it was the facilities here. Having our own volleyball gym is really nice. We have all the nice athletic facilities and different stuff. The feel of a big school is really cool…I thought it was the right fit for me."
Despite Myrick's initial feelings, the transition still took some time.
The First Year
Just to look at the statistics, you'd never know Myrick was facing a challenging first year in Maroon and White. By the end of last season, she was second on the team in kills, as well as fifth in points and digs. Not shabby at all.
What Myrick wasn't though was totally comfortable. She wasn't totally comfortable at her place, or really anywhere.
"I definitely think it took some time for her to settle in," Dennis said of Myrick. "Transferring in when she did made things really hard. We were still in lockdown mode. She didn't really get to meet anybody or spend time with other people outside of practice because they were all staying with their roommates. With travel, we just lived with roommates on the road, so coming in during COVID year created a different adjustment."
To Myrick's credit, she refused to stay stuck in any type of rut. Slowly, the real Lauren Myrick began to finally come out.
Settling In
Dennis recalls an end-of-season meeting following last year's campaign. She felt like it was one of the first times she got to see Myrick truly be herself and comfortable in her own skin.
"Lauren doesn't like to meet in my office, so she asked to go for a walk," Dennis said. "During that walk, I really got to know her more than I ever had before. She really let her guard down and let me in as to who she is. Since then, our relationship has gotten even better."
Myrick has settled in with everyone else as well. She's in sync with MSU's assistant coaches and she's found her way with teammates as well.
"It was more of just finding my people here who I was friends with," Myrick said. "Those people built me up. I've just found my friends on the team and I've found a spot where I'm comfortable. And I've been working on my mental health and seeing a therapist. Doing that kind of stuff on my own time, to help my mental health, confidence starts to come along with that."
Myrick's belief in herself is apparent everywhere she goes now, both off and on the court. Her personality is shining through.
"She's a quirky kid and is really funny," Dennis said. "If we're scouting and she has a question, she'll say it in this really funny voice with its own distinct tone. This year, she has really been able to be herself."
Adds Myrick: "There's a huge difference since last year. I think compared to last year, I just feel so much more open with people. Along with that comes having more fun, getting louder and getting excited."
It's not just Myrick's true self finally visible. Her talent is on full display and blossoming as well. Myrick enters this weekend's matchups against LSU leading the Bulldogs in kills and service aces. She's second on the squad in digs. Myrick has grown into the player Dennis thought she was getting all along.
"Lauren is the consistent factor that we can always rely on," Dennis said. "Last year, we were revolving through some outsides, and she didn't want that for this year. She wanted to be reliable and has put in the work in her approach to be that reliable person. At Florida last week, she led all attackers in kills on the first night, and on the second night, she was still getting a lot of points even without the gaudy stats. To me, Lauren has a wicked serve that makes people afraid of it. When [Florida head coach] Mary Wise is calling a timeout to break your serve, I think that's a sign of respect. She has that consistent serve, and her passing has also come a long way. She and Lilly Gunter have really done a good job figuring out their relationship and becoming reliable for one another. Even when she doesn't get a lot of balls, we know we can count on her for lots of other things…She wanted to be reliable and has done that. It's a complete 180 from last year, and she has turned into a completely different player right before our eyes."
Instate Connection
It bears noting that MSU's instate rival actually might have a part to play in Myrick's development for the Bulldogs. Myrick's boyfriend is a student at Ole Miss. Myrick's transfer from Lipscomb to Mississippi State allowed the two to be closer.
Myrick describes her boyfriend as a big Ole Miss fan, but says she's slowly working on changing that.
"He told me to get him a Mississippi State T-shirt, so I'm hoping that he wears it to the game [when MSU plays Ole Miss in Oxford on Oct. 17]," Myrick said.
That's all to be determined, but it's funny how things work out sometimes. A relationship with a Rebel helped the Bulldogs get one of their standout student-athletes.
"I get a kick out of that dynamic more than she does, but I do feel like that dynamic is probably a big factor in how we got her," Dennis said. "Lots of credit goes to that. He had a good experience at an SEC school and that made [Myrick] want to come to one. It's definitely a cute relationship."
Coming Together
So now here's Myrick, helping lead the way for the Bulldogs after all she's been through. MSU is off to a 10-4 start this year, including knocking off Big Ten foe Indiana, Big 12 opponent Oklahoma, along with a huge win over No. 17 Florida.
Mississippi State has momentum headed into hosting LSU this weekend, and Myrick is a big reason why.
"Everything has come together," Myrick said.
Everything from relationships, to health, to her play on the court. Myrick is finally, comfortably, living out her dream.
"I love this version of Lauren because it's the real version of herself," Dennis said.
