Volleyball co-captain McGregor signs with Campbellsville University

By Kristin Beck ‘05

Presentation Academy volleyball co-captain and outside/opposite hitter Grace McGregor ‘23 will take her volleyball talents to Campbellsville University where she will be coached by fellow Pres Girl Head Coach Peyton Johnston ’17.

Grace started playing volleyball in kindergarten at Our Lady of Lourdes. Her first coach was her mom, former University of Kentucky volleyball player Julie Craven McGregor. Grace started playing with Union Volleyball Club when she was 11, but gave up the sport before freshman year of high school. She attended another local Catholic school for two years before transferring to Pres before junior year. After transferring, she realized that she missed playing the sport she loved and decided to come out for summer workouts.

“I thought it would be a good opportunity to make a lot of friends, and I also missed it. I’ve always loved volleyball,” she said.

Head coach Kevin Lauersdorf said he wasn’t sure what to expect from his newest player but within a few weeks she had moved up from JV to varsity. She embraced her role as the loudest girl on the bench, and when it was her time to step on the court, she did exactly what was asked of her, he said.

Heading into this season, Lauersdorf said, “it is a different Grace. She is focused, she is determined. She was nominated by her team to be a captain and the entire coaching staff agreed 100 percent. There is yet to be a day where this young lady has not come into the gym and given me 100 percent.”

Grace said she was excited to be named co-captain alongside her friend and teammate Merideth Abell ’23. “It was a really big honor. I felt really good about myself, that my teammates would trust me to do that.”

As she began making college visits and thinking about the future, Grace realized that playing her favorite sport at the next level was still a possibility, despite getting a late start with recruitment. She visited Campbellsville University and met Coach Johnston and some of the volleyball players. “Once I decided to play, I just started making connections with people and keeping in touch with coaches,” she said. “Meeting players on the team and constant communication was key.”

Like Pres, Grace said Campbellsville’s volleyball program has a family-like atmosphere. “I like how small the school is, so it kind of gives the Pres feel. I can still have a relationship with my teachers, and the campus is beautiful.”

Lauersdorf had high praise for Grace at her signing day ceremony May 3. “As coaches, you hope and you pray that you will get players who will give you their all and be dedicated to you and the program. That is what Grace has done in two years,” he said. “I don’t really know how she has embodied, in my opinion, what a Pres Girl is so quickly but she has done it and, in my opinion, she is the epitome of a Pres Girl. Campbellsville is so lucky to be getting her and we are so sad to be losing her, but we’ll be cheering her on from the stands now.”

Grace said Lauersdorf has always been her biggest supporter on and off the court. “All he wanted was for me to succeed. He accepted my loud personality and encouraged it and embraced it. When I was younger, I was afraid that I was too loud, but he taught me that that’s a good thing for me and to embrace it and people will love me for my loud self.”

Grace thanked her parents for supporting her and her decision to transfer to Pres. She said she loved Pres because of its size and inclusivity. “I had so many opportunities here than ever before, and I am so happy I transferred!”

She also thanked her teammates for their friendship and support. “You all make the lows high and the highs higher,” she said at signing day.

Grace is interested in majoring in Mass Communication with an emphasis on broadcast journalism and digital media.