Slaughter wraps up career as a Coyote
Senior outside hitter Sami Slaughter didn’t always have her heart set on playing volleyball in college. When entering high school, Slaughter had her sights set on being a basketball star. It wasn’t until her junior year of high school that she came to realize her future might be similar to that of her mother, who played volleyball at Briar Cliff.
Slaughter began her collegiate athletic career at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, where she competed in two seasons and was named an Academic All-Big Ten before deciding to transfer to USD.
“I decided to transfer to USD because they had brand new facilities and (head coach) Leanne (Williamson) and her staff are amazing,” Slaughter said. “They’re not just coaches to me, they are the people I look up to every day. The USD atmosphere—I just wanted to be a part of it.”
This atmosphere Slaughter craved to be a part of has become her favorite aspect of playing as a Coyote.
“My favorite part about being a Yote is the fans. It is so fun running out of that tunnel and seeing the Coyote Crazies, seeing the student section, seeing the season ticket holders, I feel like they make the game so much more exciting,” Slaughter said.
Due to COVID-19, student-athletes were given another year of eligibility. Slaughter was among many who took this opportunity to continue the sport for another year, making her a fifth-year senior. For Slaughter, an injury during the 2019 season led to her decision to take advantage of her extra eligibility year.
“I tore my labrum in 2019 and had to have surgery, and then COVID-19 hit, so we had a season in the spring and didn’t have a full pre-season,” Slaughter said. “I felt like I had to prove myself, and I wanted to go out with a bang so I thought I might as well go to grad school and play one extra year.”
As the volleyball team prepares to begin Summit League play, Slaughter said she can’t wait for some tough competition with her teammates to round out her career as a Coyote.
“I think it’s exciting that we pretty much have our entire team back this year along with two really good freshmen,” Slaughter said. “Our chemistry is there so that’s exciting. We also have a lot of big competition in the Summit League this year, like Denver, Kansas City and Omaha. They’re really tough teams and it’s really fun to compete against them.”
Looking toward the future, Slaughter feels as though her body has had enough, and her time playing the sport she loves is over. Her next steps include finishing grad school and focusing on becoming a sports marketer, but for now, Slaughter is planning to enjoy every second she has left on the court with her Coyote family.
