Scholar Stories: Lerg Looks Back at Life as Libero, Ahead to Next Chapter
12/19/2018 10:47:00 AM | Volleyball, Features
Continuing the popular series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Prairie Farms.
By Brad Rudner
Last Monday, a mere three days after her collegiate career ended, University of Michigan libero Jenna Lerg tweeted a video of her attempting to dig out an opposing hitter's attack. She shuffles her feet to the left and appears to be in a good position.
With 1,963 career digs, Lerg has been there countless times. As a libero, nobody notices when you do your job the right way. But when mistakes are made, all eyes shift towards you.Â
Sometimes, those mistakes put you flat on your back.
When Monday hits and you realize your sports career is over pic.twitter.com/eQBMWLbbBV
— Jenna Lerg (@jllerg1) December 10, 2018
That short six-second clip has been viewed more than 37,000 times, an astounding number for a now retired student-athlete with only 500 followers. The caption, though, summed up her past few days well.
When Monday hits and you realize your sports career is over.
For the first time in a long time -- maybe ever -- Lerg is beginning each week without thinking about volleyball. There are no more practice to go to, no opponents to prepare for. There's only what comes next.
"It's tough knowing that I put so much time, energy and effort into this sport, and now in the blink of an eye, it's over," Lerg said last week inside the Ross Academic Center. "This journey is over, but it's opened so many doors for me. I know that the people I met through volleyball are some of the most important people. That's made it all worth it."
Unquestionably, Lerg ended her career as one of the best liberos in program history. Among the program's all-time leaders, she is second in digs and holds three of the top-eight single-season totals. Last week, she was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)All-America honorable mention.
When mentioning those accolades, Lerg shrugged them off. She has never been one for the spotlight.
"I didn't even know where I stood, and this sounds bad, but, nor do I care," she admits. "All I care about is that my team wins. It's nice to see that I've made an impact on Michigan volleyball, but I treasure more things than that."
Jenna Lerg
To get to that point meant beating out her older sister, Lindsey Lerg (2012-15), for the same position on the court. The sisters crossed paths twice before: first at Farmington Hills High School (where they did not play the same position) and later at U-M (where they did).
Sure, there was competition, but there was no sibling rivalry, at least from Jenna's perspective.
"She was the most supportive player, teammate, everything," she said. "I remember her telling me, 'I want you to play libero because I know you deserve it.' That was one of the coolest things I've ever heard in my life. I had taken her spot. I had no idea she'd be so outwardly supportive."
So next season, for the first time since 2011, there won't be a Lerg on the volleyball team. Jenna will graduate in the spring with a degree in biopsychology, cognition and neuroscience (BCN), a course of study that mixes social sciences and natural sciences. In other words, it is how the brain works in concert with the rest of the body, and how decisions effect human behavior.
She also does quite well in the classroom, twice named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, an academic honor bestowed upon student-athletes who achieve a grade-point average of 3.7 or higher.
Lerg plans to attend dental school next year and has been prepping for that possibility since her sophomore year. She admitted that the prospect of going to medical school and learning about the entire body was not all that appealing.
"I really like knowing intricate details," she explained. "The variety of procedures and checkups that a dentist performs, you can never get bored with it. You're dealing with the mouth using only your hands and the knowledge you've gained along the way. To be an expert in such a small space is really cool. I think it's the perfect thing for me."
As for those who dread going to see their dentist, Lerg has a message.
"People who hate the dentist need to focus on the bigger picture. This person is doing so-called 'horrible things' to your mouth, but in a job interview, people are looking at how you're talking. Having a good smile, showcasing what your dentist has done for you, that's increasing your professionalism. Your dentist is there to help you. No pain, no gain."
She applied to seven dental schools -- including the one at U-M -- and is waiting to hear back on admissions decisions. While completing her coursework, Lerg plans to volunteer with the Hospital Dentistry service with the U-M Health System. Beginning in January, she'll work with hospital patients and learn about basic dental care for at least four hours every week. Lerg also serves as a student-athlete representative on Michigan's Advisory Board for Intercollegiate Athletics (ABIA).
Though there is no more volleyball to prepare for, Lerg clearly has plenty of other things on her plate. With little time left, she's taking full advantage of the student-athlete experience.
"Carrying on the Lerg name at the University of Michigan meant a lot to me," she said. "I've gained so many qualities from being a student-athlete, it's something you can't really put into words."
