Savannah Slattery of Loyola Marymount University’s indoor and beach volleyball team, talks of the growth she has undergone over her four year career, despite several life barriers she has come across.

Among many season accomplishments, this 2019-2020 season, Slattery was named to the All-West Coast Conference Volleyball First Team. As a team and conference leader, Slattery led the conference with 412 kills and 45 total blocks. With so much momentum and success, Slattery was deeply saddened her beach volleyball season came to an end so abruptly. She said, “I know my team was the best team that we’ve had in all the four years that I’ve been there,” as they all were excited to perform in the WCC and NCAA Women’s chapionship tournament later this year.

Although unexpected events brought an early end to the beach volleyball season, Slattery expresses, “everything happens for a reason.” She is able to find hope from previous experiences she endured, as she was one of many who lost her home in the Pacific Palisade brush fires in 2019. “It was the worst possible thing that has happened in my life…I had to learn how to adapt and go on from life with these changes that were completely out of my control,” she says. From that experience, Slattery was able to accept the cancellation of her senior season was also out of her control. Regardless, she reveals, “It brings some peace to me knowing that I’ve done the best I could do and that is good enough for me.”  

From both life altering experiences, she has learned to adapt and make necessary changes. During this time of social distancing, Slattery has been spending the past couple weeks figuring out her next steps. Though she has a job lined up for her in a couple months that she is currently working part time, she is working out logistics and factors of playing a fifth year. “I’m thinking positively towards [playing a fifth year] and hoping that I can work something out,” she says.

Reflecting on her LMU volleyball career, Slattery cherishes the bond she has made with the team and coaches over the past four years. The team created a family atmosphere that allowed Slattery to develop into a well rounded individual and player. “It’s going to be hard to find that much amount of love in one spot for that amount of time”, Slattery says. The appreciation for the game and the LMU volleyball family made it easy for her to even love waking up for 6am practices. Not only did Slattery grow from her LMU experience, but it also became a second home for her. Slattery says, “I look back at who I was when I came into school and who I am now…I am so happy with that woman who came out of LMU.”