An Indiana native, McKenna Carter, sophomore public relations major, is proud to be on the Union University volleyball team.
Born in Mishawaka, northern Indiana, Carter has been playing competitive volleyball since middle school and she started going to clinics in the fourth grade.
Having her second shoulder injury in February, the second year student looks to develop a strong presence on the court this season. While remaining injury free this season, Carter is working on getting her swing and techniques back in order to become a leader on the court.
Carter remarked that the closeness of the team members makes this Union volleyball team different than any other team she has been on.
“They’re my core group of friends,” she said. She also stated that the friendship among the group helps them give constructive criticism.
Carter hopes to use her major as well as her minor, marketing, to go into the music industry. She would like to work in either Nashville or Los Angeles as a public relations professional for a record label or band.
In her down time, Carter enjoys attending concerts in Nashville, with Katy Perry, One Direction and Ed Sheeran in her repertoire.
She also loves movies and hosts movie marathons with her friends occasionally.
One year for Halloween, Carter dressed up as a “girl in a bathtub.” She cut out a hole in a bucket and attached strings to use as straps. She wrapped towels around her and used balloons for the bubbles. “All my balloons were popped by the end of the night,” she said.
History major and education minor, Trevor Rowland is a sophomore for the Union University men’s golf team.
Choosing to redshirt this year, Rowland can attend practice but cannot participate in competitive matches. With three more years of eligibility left, Rowland plans to hone in on his enjoyment for the game during his time off.
Playing his first course at ten years old, Rowland inherited his interest in golf from his father, who played consistently on the weekends. Rowland then started developing his skills with his dad at a par 3 course. He went on to hit his first hole-in-one at the age of 11.
Starting high school, Rowland played two years of golf at Briarcrest Christian High School in Memphis, and one year at Collierville High School, also in Memphis, having to sit out one year due to the transfer.
Rowland has used his time off this year to pinpoint areas of his game to work on for his next three years of competitive play.
“I want to shoot lower 70s and under par,” Rowland said. “Another area of improvement could be my short game.”
Along with the golf team, Rowland is involved with two other Union groups. He joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity in the spring semester of his freshman year.
Rowland also sits as chair for community service for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), where he helps plan several community service events for the committee and athletic teams.
SAAC also organizes one event each semester that involves the entire athletic program. Rowland is currently working with SAAC to finish plans for this year.
He plans on using his degree to become a high school history teacher.
For his favorite Halloween costume that he has worn, Rowland recalled a unique choice. “I was Santa one year. I also had two of my friends dress up as elves.”
While all of his friends enjoyed the merry costume, not everyone had tears of laughter. “One kid cried because he saw me with my beard down,” Rowland said with interspersed chuckles.
