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University of North Carolina Athletics
Friday Check-In With Victoria McPherson
March 27, 2015 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - This volleyball off-season, GoHeels.com will run an exclusive Q&A series with members of the Carolina volleyball team. This week's piece features Victoria McPherson the 6-foot-2 middle blocker who led UNC to a No. 2 national ranking in blocks/set this past season.
What feels better: getting a big kill or a big block?
That's a hard one. I think getting a big kill gets me excited personally, but getting a big block is such a momentum builder for the entire team.
Why did you pick your jersey number?
I switched numbers a lot in high school and club, so I was mainly excited to get a permanent one. I didn't have any emotional connection before coming to UNC, but I mean come on… Lucky number 7!
At what age did you start to play volleyball and in what league or at what level?
I started playing when I was 12 years old, so 6th grade. Funny story: I didn't even make the team. After crying my eyes out on the phone with my mom when my name wasn't on the roster, a week later the head coach pulled me out of class and said there was an extra jersey I could have, but there would be no guaranteed playing time at all. I was perfectly fine sitting on the bench, so I took it. I guess the rest is history!
What part of your game do you want to improve the most this spring?
Right now I'm really focusing on my attacks out of the middle, mainly 1's, and having better vison of the block against me.
As a quick preview for our Friday Check-In, here is a sweet set for a 1 from @Abigail_Curry to @ViccDaniellee #uncvb pic.twitter.com/HfDFODmurN
— Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) March 27, 2015
What other sports or sport skills are you good at?
I played basketball in 6th grade, but I feel like that might not count anymore. I'm pretty good at tennis though!
What is one random fact we do not know about you?
I am very (semi)fluent in sign language.
What has been your favorite class at UNC?
My favorite class so far has been JOMC 455: Sports Writing, with Professor Crothers in the School of Journalism. The class was dedicated to writing newspaper and magazine type feature articles so we would have mock press conferences with UNC athletes and coaches. We even took a trip to a bowling alley, played a full game as a class, and wrote about it as if it were a competition. I love writing and sports, of course, so this class was almost too perfect for me.
What part of Carolina convinced you to choose UNC for college?
I chose Carolina because this university is all around the perfect place to be. First of all, have you seen the campus? When people say Carolina is the "southern part of heaven", they aren't kidding. Add that to amazing academic and athletic programs and I was sold. It sounds cliché, but when so many people can say the same things about UNC, they must be on to something.
If you could go back and relive one match from your career, what match would it be and why?
That's a hard one. I would definitely love to go back and relive our Elite 8 match against Texas. The emotion we all played with and the fact that we had that opportunity in the first place is still incredible to me. To play that game over again would be amazing, but with a different outcome of course.
If you could choose one destination in the world for a vacation that you have never visited before, where would that be?
Just a vacation? How about a one-way ticket to Paris, France?
What was your favorite high school athletic accomplishment (game, award, championship) and why?
My junior year of high school, my team made it to the semifinals of our State tournament. We were a team filled with 8th graders, freshmen and only a few upperclassmen, so we were definitely the underdogs, but just having the chance to play for the championship was HUGE for our program.
If you could have a particular skill or ability of any current or former athlete, what would that be and whose skill is it?
I'm totally and completely obsessed with LeBron James, so yeah, I'll have what he's having.
Who is your pre-game "must listen to" musical artist?
Kendrick Lamar.
What teammate and/or coach has given you the best advice about being a Carolina volleyball player and what was it?
After having some problems with my knee last season, I was really hard on myself and was convinced I wouldn't be able to achieve the personal goals I had set for myself. Coach Sagula told me I could be as good as I wanted to be, if I wanted to be. He reminded me the only person holding me back was myself. I had been told this before, but hearing that message at that time really got me out of that funk.
What is an essential part of your pregame routine?
I don't have a set ritual I go through, but at some point before we start warming up I just need to take some time to get my own mind right. Whether I separate from the rest of the team, or just quiet myself at my locker, I just go through a mental preparation and say a prayer.
Who do you call/talk to/text after every game?
My brother. He played basketball and is easily my best friend and one of my biggest supporters, so I accept criticism from him better than from anyone else.
What TV show do you have to watch every week?
Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, and Empire. It's a long week.
Who is the person you look up to the most?
My parents are without a doubt my biggest role models. My mom is the strongest and most hardworking person I've ever known and I tell her all the time I hope to become at least half the woman she is. I'm definitely a daddy's girl, so my dad has always been my best friend and he's always there for me when I need him the most. The two of them together have shaped me into who I am today.
What is your dream job?
I'm really torn when it comes to my dream job. Fashion, marketing, social media, event planning, traveling, and PR work are all on my list of top interests, so if anyone knows a job where I can get the best of all worlds, let me know!
How is Carolina and Carolina volleyball helping you achieve your goals for after graduation?
I'm blessed to be a part of the UNC family and that's exactly what it is: a family. I've learned some of my biggest lessons, both the easy and hard way, while being a student-athlete here and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. By encouraging success in both the classroom and on the court, my academic advisors and coaches have pushed me outside of my comfort zone enough for me to see where working hard can get you. UNC, and all that comes with it, has prepared me for a life of pursuing my dreams and working hard to achieve them.
