Former Carroll two-year starter Paige Panter decided on Texas A&M University as her high school career was on its way to a successful conclusion and has enjoyed her time as a freshman. In 2015, she's played in eight matches and started in one, totaling 13 kills, 1 assist and 12 digs. The Aggies are 19-6 with four games left to play before postseason action.
We caught up with Panter to discuss her past, present and future in a Q&A.
Southlake Style: How’s freshman yearbrgoing for you both on and off the court?brbr
Paige Panter: I honestly have no words to describe how much I love itbrhere. It’s been such a great experience for me so far. It feels like home. Thebrteam and coaches. It helps make the difference for me that we’re really like abrfamily. The girls, especially the freshmen, I consider really close friends of mine.brIt’s really nice and been great so far.
SS: As a freshman, you've gotten some playing time. Talk about your performance on the court a bit more.
Panter: Like you said, I’m a freshman. I think at the moment I’mbrhere to contribute as much as I possibly can and develop. The one match Ibrstarted was a great experience. I got in a little more than expected than mostbrfreshmen, but it’s a big accomplishment in itself for me. For me right now thebrgoal is developing to be the best of my ability, so whenever we have people thatbrplay my position that graduate that I can step in and fulfill that goal to thebrbest of my ability. The team is going right now. We’re on a [10]-game win-streak.brPractice is intense. We’re all focusing on who we’re playing next and what webrneed to do to accomplish our ultimate goal of winning conference.
SS: So, what's your outlook for rest ofbrseason?
Panter: I think our rematch against Florida will be really good.brThey defeated us at their place. We’re hoping to pay back the favor when theybrcome to our place in front of the 12th man. We’re preparing reallybrwell. It’s always fun playing in front of the 12th man. We playbrKentucky this Friday. They’re in first in conference right now. [Note: The Aggies defeated Kentucky in the referenced match, 3-1].
SS: Give me your outlook on your eventual starting role for this team.
Panter: Right now we’re a team that’s really similar to the team atbrCarroll. We have a lot of depth. We have so many people in each position. In thatbraspect, it’s more rather than me being selfish and saying I’m going to start,brit’s what can I do to contribute to the team. Angela [Lowak] is graduating next year. There are a junior and sophomore both starting right now in her same position. I’ve learned so muchbrfrom both of them since I’ve gotten here. They’re phenomenal players. Watchingbrthem and everyone in practice has been so helpful.
SS: Would you say that duo are your mentors? Who else would you consider?
Panter: I think our two senior captains, Angela and Shelby [Sullivan], are forbrsure two of my mentors. Emily Hardesty is one of them. All the upperclassmenbrhave really embraced all of us as a freshman class. It’s hard to single anybodybrout from that aspect.
SS: Why did you choose Texas A&M?
Panter: I had visited a bunch of other schools. I was recruited forbrindoor and beach. I had two different ways it could’ve gone. I liked the otherbrprograms, the coaches were cool, the schools were cool, but I came here andbrvisited and fell in love with it.
The environment here, not even just thebrprogram, but the school itself is so welcoming. You feel everyone in town isbrone big family. The 12th man is legitimate. It describes everybody. Ibrhad grown up in a place at Carroll where you protect the tradition. It's been abrbig deal my entire life. It's even bigger here. That's wonderful for me. I lovebrstuff like that. It was a great fit with my personality. The coaches are goodbrabout recruiting girls that get along. Everybody loves everybody. It was thebrwhole entire experience for me. I just loved it. It was nice for me, I have twobrlittle brothers, 10 and 12, they're only three and a half hours away. It's nice to staybrconnected to them and my family.
SS: At Carroll you were a two-yearbrstarter and lost only six games. Reflect on your career and what you learned there.
Panter: I think the biggest thing I learned from Carroll is thebrsimple fact of how to win. There are so many teams, especially club volleyballbrtoo, there’s so many teams and so much talent on every team with so much depth.brIn the end, it’s the team that’s talented and truly in their heart of heartsbrcan win. The entire school, grades and sports, of how supportive everyone is ofbrthe Dragons; I learned how to really care about people, what it means to trulybrbe on a team at Carroll, especially during my junior year. That team was one of my favoritebrteams to play on.
SS: Do you still play beach volleyball? Do you have a favorite between the two?
Panter: Not really. I play beach every summer. I’m hoping to play eventuallybrafter college. That’s my ultimate goal: continue on with that. It’s extremelybrhard to find time with balancing school, athletics and everything. Being abrstudent-athlete, I would never givit up but it’s very difficult to balance.brWhenever I get to chance, I take it seriously. It’s the only reps I get. When Ibrgo home, I’ll play with my girls and train with them.
I'm hoping to enter the professional circuit. That's an ultimatebrgoal for me. I'd absolutely love to do it. I have other options I want to pursuebras a career as well, but not the Olympics. They only take four people for that.
SS: What's the future for you after volleyball?
Panter: I’m in communication honors. I’m minoring in pre-law. I’mbrhoping to go to law school. I always wanted to pursue a career in that. It’sbrreally convenient that A&M just opened up a new law school in Arlington.brThat may be an option for me. That’s way down the road in the future. I’ve gotbrsome time to decide on that one.
SS: Talk to yourself as abrfreshman in high school. Give yourself advice.
Panter: Don’t let anybody tell you you’re too small. I’m 5’10 and abrmajority of the coaches I talked to told me I was too small to be an outsidebrhitter for them at a D1 school. I was blessed to meet Laurie Corbelli, who gavebrme the opportunity to play that position for her and play for a school that’s abrtop school in the country. Ironically, a lot of smaller girls end up scoringbrmore than big girls. I believe in myself more and trust in my physicalbrabilities.
SS: Do you keep in touch with your former teammates at all?
Panter: It’s hard to constantly keep up with them. I check in herebrand there. I know they beat our big rivals Colleyville and Coppell in district. That was exciting, and I was proud of them. They’re successful. That has beenbrreally exciting. I’ve been really happy with them. It will be easier nextbrsemester. I’ve been putting everything off until then when I have more freebrtime.
SS: What have you learnedbrmost in college so far?
Panter: Don’t be afraid to be yourself. I got here and everybody isbrthemselves. No one is afraid to be who they want to be. No one is judgmental.brIf everybody loves everybody, but if you don’t like something about me, that’sbryour problem, not mine. That’s a struggle for most people. I went to Fish Camp at the begin of my freshman year. I made so many friends and met so many people. Those experiencesbrcarried over and that really influenced a lot of people. That’s what I learnedbrthe most, honestly.
The idea of Fish Camp is, they take us out to a sleep-away camp that's three or four hoursbraway. You stay there for four days and you learn all the traditions of A&M,brthe different yells, why you do this, respect who's around you and not judge who theybrare, and learn their backgrounds. Once you get to A&M it's a new start. Youbrcan be who you want to be and everyone's the same way.
SS: Would you like to thank anyone?
Panter: All of the coaches I’ve played for – club, especially reallybrinfluenced me a lot. Ryan [Mitchell] was an influence in high school for me. I played for him inbrclub as well. LJ Farriago, Kirk Perry and Claire Rose [Benedict] were all bigbrinfluences for me - they were club coaches of mine - and private lessons coach JoebrJablonski.
Photos provided by Texas A&M Athletics.