Cebula, #17, top row, second from right, has made a smooth transition to collegiate volleyball.
By Brian Kalish
September 27, 2012
Stevens Point– If you are a fan of SPASH athletics, you are more than likely familiar with Morgan Cebula. As a senior last year, Cebula was a dominant force for the Panthers in volleyball, basketball and track. Cebula graduated from SPASH last year and is now enjoying success on the volleyball court and in the classroom at Lewis University.
CWS: First and most importantly, what are your thoughts about the Packers’ loss to Seattle on Monday night.
Cebula: Very upsetting. Actually I sat and watched it in (a friend’s) dorm. He’s a total Bears fan. He was giving me crap the whole night.
CWS: Really? Even as a Bears’ fan, didn’t he see that was a total rip off?
Cebula: He admitted it, but he was just happy to see the Packers lose.
CWS: So how are things going for you at Lewis?
Cebula: They’re going great. I really love it here. We had a little bit of a rough start to our volleyball season, mostly because we’ve got a lot of young players, but I’ve been getting to start quite a few games and we’re on a winning streak now. So we’re hoping that continues.
CWS: What made you choose Lewis?
Cebula: It was volleyball. They saw me when I was playing club and they recruited me. I loved it here; they have a great campus. Their volleyball program has been in the top 20 in the nation for the last seven years, so the volleyball program is really good. They also have a really strong criminal justice program, and that’s my major.
CWS: How has the transition been, going from high school to college and playing at the collegiate level?
Cebula: School-wise, the transition has been a lot easier than I thought it would be. I haven’t been homesick. I love it here and all the new freedom I have. Sports-wise, it’s been a big difference. The competition level is so much higher. The skill level is so much faster. I learned when I got here that I didn’t know as much about volleyball as I thought I knew coming in. I’ve learned immense amounts– it’s really amazing how much you can learn and how much different it is at each level of competition.
CWS: What do you have to do differently now in terms of training as a college player?
Cebula: In the pre season we had at least two to three hour practices a day. My volleyball coach is actually a beach player, so we went to the sand dunes and ran up the dunes. We have our own cardio and agility trainer who comes once a week, and he trains us. Then we have weight lifting up to three times a week after practice, along with scouting and all that kind of stuff.
CWS: What advice would you give a high school player who aspires to play college volleyball?
Cebula: I know it’s hard for some people to figure out what sport they want to focus on early on, but start young. That’s something I didn’t do. I started volleyball in seventh grade and didn’t start playing club volleyball until my junior year, which is when I got recruited. There were people on my club team who had been recruited since they were freshman in high school. So start early… and just never give up and if you work hard enough, you’ll get there.
