Despite her phenomenal athletic ability and her presence on the volleyball court, Laura Rose Gray made her decision to transfer to Union after a year and a half at Mississippi State based on her passion for art and her desire to be surrounded by a Christian community.
Through speaking with Gray, not only was her passion for volleyball and academics evident, but also her humility through it all.
“I came here to get an art therapy degree,” Gray said. “Union has a great art program.”
After seeing Gray’s biography on the Union athletic website and reading her numerous records and accomplishments, I was surprised to learn about her love of art and that being her guiding light to Union.
“When I was at Mississippi State, I only took one drawing class, but then coming here was such a difference because the professors really care about you and your art,” Gray said. “They want you to get out of college and be able to be successful and explore.”
Gray also found herself seeking a Christ-centered community. Coming from a state school with over 18,000 students, the contrast to Union felt like night and day.
“There was a culture shock—I didn’t know life like this existed,” Gray said. “Going from an SEC school to a private school was definitely shocking, but it was the best decision I could have ever made.”
Gray also mentioned specifically the roles her professors have played in this transition. Not only in their passion for art and helping students achieve success, but also their integration of faith and learning.
“My professors always incorporate their Christian life into every lesson, which is just amazing,” Gray said.
Gray’s gratitude for Union and its art program was clear throughout our conversation.
“I remember praying and saying ‘I’m giving my life to you, God, because only you know what my future holds,’ and it turned out for the best,” Gray said. “I knew God had His hand in all of this when leading me here.”
Although Laura experienced a great deal of change when transferring to Union, she was still able to find a feeling of normalcy through her love of volleyball and continuing her athletic career.
When I asked Gray to share the biggest difference between playing for Mississippi State and for Union, there was a longer pause than I anticipated.
“I have always felt like I have just been playing volleyball,” Gray said.
Gray felt a lot of familiarity with volleyball and playing for both teams, despite what seemed like obvious differences.
“I just have always had to give my best no matter where I am,” Gray said. “I am always really thankful to be on a team, so those things haven’t really changed. I didn’t transfer for sports, but I am thankful that I stayed in sports.”
Assistant volleyball coach Christa Fabre noted how special it was to have someone like Gray be so interested in Union.
“She was a rare thing,” Fabre said. “She was looking for a school specifically like Union. Art therapy is something that is unique to Union, and when she found that she reached out to us.”
The coaches were excited to learn about Gray’s interest in the volleyball program and her desire to continue to play.
“We saw a Mississippi State transfer and we were like ‘heck yeah, we need to give her an opportunity,’ and I am so glad that we did,” Fabre said.
Fabre believes Gray has excelled at Union and has been an asset to the team, not just as a player, but also as a teammate.
“She has always gotten along with everyone on our team,” Fabre said. “She is not someone that will bring conflict. She is a peacemaker and is someone that brings people together.”
Gray has had an overall positive experience being at Union and continuing to play volleyball. She mentioned her love for her coaches and how she feels like she is truly cared about, which has been different from her past experiences.
“The coaches here really care about us, and it was honestly weird at first when they cared about me and my personal life,” Gray said. “I was like ‘Why do you care about me? You are just my coach.’ But, they have grown on me and we have really gotten closer and I am really thankful for them. They want to see me do my best, and that really means a lot.”
Gray is currently playing as a fifth year senior after redshirting last season due to COVID-19 complications.
Fortunately for Gray, staying another year was an easy decision to make.
“We did not know that it was going to be offered to stay another season and play for a really long time,” Gray said. “But once we found out, I knew how great of an opportunity it would be.”
Fabre was thankful for Gray’s eagerness to stay and play another year for Union.
“As soon as we found out that athletics were able to have a fifth year for the COVID year, we asked her immediately if that was something she was interested in. She said she had already thought about it and wanted to do it,” Fabre said. “That just shows who she is as a person and athlete. She is such a competitor and she loves the game so much that it was an easy decision for her and for us as well.”
Through everything that Gray does, she gives it her all, from art and studying art therapy to setting records on the volleyball court. For someone as talented as Gray, it was encouraging to see how truly genuine she is.
“The thing that stands out most in Laura Rose is her love for people and her talents,” Fabre said. “She is such a unique person and is talented in so many ways. She is an artist and is so phenomenal in that, and she is also such a baller on the court, but then she has so much humility and is so kind.”
Photo by Union University Athletics
