Lily Johnson is a two-time All-American, the Valley's Player of the Year who led the Volleybears to an NCAA Tournament berth, and the first sophomore in school history to reach 1,000 kills.
The latest honor for the 5-11 outside hitter is her selection as one-of-12 members of the USA National Collegiate team that will tour Europe this summer.
"I'm a little bit nervous because learning the culture and customs there is so different," Johnson said. "I don't want to offend anybody as soon as I set foot on European soil. But it's a different kind of world there. Even the volleyball is different (in the way it's played) so it's going to be a learning experience, but culturally and from an athletic standpoint as well."
Lily's USA team is one-of-three touring squads that serve as feeder programs to the big USA National Team that plays in the Olympics and World Championships.
Willard product Lori Endicott was the last local player on the USA National Team, taking part in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics. And although it's too late for Lily to make this year's Olympic team that will compete in Rio, she's now part of the pipeline of players who will be chosen for future USA teams.
"It's just a good way to get exposure prior to becoming eligible to try-out for the full-blown national team," Johnson explained. "This is obviously a great way to get involved in the USVA national system, so if I have the opportunity and they want me to play for them on the national team that is something that I would love to do."
Lily has other future plans though. As an academic all-conference student, she's majoring in cell molecular biology with her sights set on life after volleyball.
"I would really like to look into getting research or maybe pharmaceutical sales," Johnson said. "Kind of a different side of things. Maybe even go to P.A. school which is a physician's assistant."
Counting schoolwork, homework, practice and conditioning, Lily's day spans about 15 hours. But she's used to hard work.
"I actually have my blackbelt in Taekwondo and I got it when I was nine years-old," she says with a smile.
And that drive to succeed is why she admits that making the NCAA tournament is not as much a motivating factor as the loss in the first round to Mizzou and the loss to Wichita St. in the MVC Tournament championship match.
"Losing the way we did really does have an impact on you as a player," she explained. "It's not a feeling that ever goes away. But getting that close to a conference championship is definitely something that will come into play in motivating us and pushing us this coming season."
Another pair of Volleybears, Emily Butters and Lynsey Wright were named to the USA Collegiate National Team that will compete as part of a competition in America this summer.
