Mia McGrath has been a part of the sports world since her childhood. Besides volleyball, he also tried soccer, basketball, softball, tennis, swimming and diving, but his passion was deeper in volleyball. Growing up with her mother and father, who played division one volleyball and football at Western Kentucky, sports were a big part of her identity. College athletes have always been McGrath’s focus. His passion for volleyball started at a very young age. “When I was little, my mom really put my footsteps in a volleyball. I was born into it.”
His mother was his biggest role model in all of this. McGrath said her mother always pushed her to be the best version of herself. After practices and games, her mom was always there to support her and even helped her get recruited by collegiate volleyball programs. At the age of eight, her mother would come home from volleyball lessons and find McGrath hitting a volleyball against the garage door in the dark. “Having a little volley mom is good for me.”
In the fourth grade, McGrath’s grade school, unfortunately, did not have a volleyball team, but this did not stop him from pursuing his passion. McGrath asked her grade school athletic director to form a girls’ volleyball team in fourth grade; eventually, they agreed to his request. Ever since she made the team in fourth grade, McGrath has loved volleyball.
Growing up surrounded by sports had a more lasting effect on McGrath, more than paying dividends in his athletic abilities. “Growing up as an athletic kid and working hard every day, made me a more confident person. Sports, in general, made me a better person.
McGrath is happy to see more recognition given to female athletes today. She cited that women’s sports have become more competitive since her mother’s volleyball tenure at Western Kentucky, which she hopes will attract more fans. Although he still notes there is a larger fan base for men’s sports, McGrath says the culture around women’s sports is changing for the better.
Outside of her mother, McGrath often looks up to Kerri Walsh Jennings. Jennings is an American professional beach volleyball player who has collected three Olympic gold medals and a one-time Olympic bronze medal and has the most career wins in 2016, having won 135 international and domestic beach volleyball tournaments during his career. . McGrath played beach volleyball during her summers before college and often looked up to Jennings for her great success. “I want to be him (Jennings) one day.”
Since the end of his stellar freshman campaign with the Tigers, in which he earned a spot on the All-ACC Freshman Team, McGrath has an encouraging message he wants his younger self to know. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything you want. Stay true to yourself. If you work hard, you can do anything. ” Her words of encouragement will hopefully inspire the next generation of female athletes.
