USC Athletics

Meet Mollie Ebertin, a freshman for the USC beach volleyball team. This spring, the Women of Troy added five newcomers to a squad of seasoned veterans who have their sights set on the school's fourth national championship on the sand. Get to know each of the newcomers a little better.

So, how are you liking USC so far?
I love it. It's really fun; just going to all my classes, meeting new people, and the team... playing volleyball.

What inspired your decision to come here?
Well, it's obviously one of the top programs, which is super exciting, but also both my parents went here, so it's been a huge school for our family. I love the camaraderie of the Trojan Family, and just seeing my parents play sports here was super exciting.

How has the adjustment been since living in the Bay Area?
It's been good, I spent my last two summers here, so I'm used to it, I guess. But I really like it, it's not too different from back home.

Where's your favorite place to go in LA?
I really like going to the beach. I like Laguna Beach. I have friends that live down there, so I like to go visit them, and I have family that lives near there too.

What is the best class here that you've taken, or are taking now?
My favorite class, which I'm actually taking this semester, is called The Art and Science of Decision Making. It's about how people make decisions, why people make decisions, why they make the decisions that they do end up making, and how I, personally, can make better decisions.

Is that something you want to continue studying?
Well, it's part of my major–I'm majoring in sociology, and I eventually want to be an elementary school teacher, so I'm also minoring in education.

When did you know that you wanted to be a teacher?
I've known for a long time that I wanted to be a teacher, probably ever since I was a little girl. My mom was a teacher, so I always looked up to her doing it.

What are your hobbies outside of playing volleyball?
I like spending time with my family when I'm home, I like going to Tahoe, and the snow. I also enjoy doing water sports, like jet-skiing. I loved playing hockey as a kid and I can also cook.

What do you feel is the biggest difference between playing in high school and playing in college?
Well, at my high school, we didn't have a beach volleyball team, we had an indoor team. But probably, the biggest difference is that here, I push every day to be the best player I can be. In high school, everyone was working hard, but it wasn't at the same level. In high school playing beach volleyball, it was harder because we didn't have a lot of people up north playing beach volleyball as much as there are down here. So having a group here that's super dedicated to it is really nice.

Do you have any game day rituals or routines?
I wear the same wristbands every day. So I guess, just doing that. I make sure I always wear them on game days.

What are you most looking forward to this season?
I'm looking forward to competing. I feel like we have a really good chance of going far and doing good things, so just getting out there and competing and giving a hundred percent.