Humble is not a word used to describe most athletes. For some, it’s all about recognition, awards and media attention8212;but not so for Utah volleyball player Lori Baird.
The 6-foot-2-inch Murray native has earned her share of recognition since she started playing volleyball 12 years ago when she was in the fifth grade.
Watching her older sister play volleyball at Ricks College was one of Lori Baird’s biggest inspirations for starting her own volleyball career.
“I would go watch her games and it made me really want to play,” Baird said.
She started playing in recreation leagues before transitioning to the more competitive club level three years later.
Since then, Baird has racked up an impressive list of records and honors including a handful of high school records, being named to the A2 national team after last season, several player of the week awards and most recently, becoming the 10th member of Utah’s 1,000-kill club.
But to Baird, all the recognition means little.
“It is always kind of cool, but that’s not what I focus on,” Baird said. “It is in the past and if I’m not ready to play every single day, they don’t mean anything. You have to work hard every day and keep moving forward.”
Baird knew very early in her volleyball career that she someday wanted to play at the college level.
Shortly after seeing Baird play for the first time during her sophomore year of high school, head coach Beth Launiere knew she wanted her to play for Utah.
“I saw her athleticism and could tell that her skills were developing,” Launiere said. “We offered her a spot on the team very early and were confident that she would be great for our team.”
For Baird, the decision to become a Ute was a relatively easy one. She was comfortable with the rest of the team, she had played for former assistant coach Matt McShane at the club level, and the U was close to home.
While lots of student-athletes want to get as far away from home as possible, Baird was excited to have the opportunity to play near the people she grew up with.
“I’ve had lots of people ask me why I stayed so close, but I’m a family person,” she said. “Having family and friends there to support you makes it more fun to play.”
Since joining the Ute lineup three years ago, Baird has been leading the team by example, averaging 2.64 kills and 1.40 blocks per set in her first three seasons at the U.
This year, during her senior season, Baird is still leading the team with 3.13 kills and 1.46 blocks per set, and her example has been an inspiration to younger players on the team.
“Lori is amazing and I really look up to her,” said middle blocker Karolina Bartkowiak. “She can hit anything and has been my role model in the middle. Whenever I’m struggling, I’m like, “Lori show me how you do this, or how do you do that.'”
Despite being a natural when it comes to showing younger players how it’s done, Baird has just recently emerged as a vocal leader of the team.
“She has really stepped up her leadership role this season,” said outside hitter Kathryn Haynie. “She expects things of other players and pushes everyone around her to get better, but she doesn’t expect anything she won’t do herself.”
Baird has also shown her leadership by not getting down on herself when she is having a rare off night.
As one of the top hitters in the Mountain West Conference, Utah’s opponents have often made it a top priotiry to shut Baird down.
“When New Mexico put up a tough block on Lori, she responded by having one of her best serving and digging nights of the season,” Launiere said. “That is great leadership, finding a way to contribute and not getting down.”
Baird not only works hard on the court, but is also one of the most disciplined players off the court.
“She is in such great shape, but she still does extra conditioning and pays attention to what she eats,” Haynie said. “She is focused on whatever it takes for her to be ready to work hard every day.”
While Baird’s game and leadership skills have improved significantly throughout her career, she said volleyball has also taught her many important life lessons, with one of the biggest being added responsibility.
With school, volleyball practice and other obligations, Baird has had to juggle a lot of things.
“You have to be on time to practice, be physically and mentally ready, know what is expected from the coaches,” Baird said. “There are also homework and church activities and road trips. I’ve really learned about time management.”
With less than a year until graduation, Baird is unsure what lies ahead after her volleyball career at the U comes to an end.
Baird, who is majoring in social work, hopes to get a job in child protective services but hasn’t ruled out the option of playing volleyball overseas.
“Nothing is really set in stone,” she said. “It just depends on where I am in my life when I graduate.”
Either way, it seems Baird will continue to be a soft-spoken person who lets her actions and examples do most of the talking.
Tyler CobbAfter high school Lori Baird deiced to stay close to home and play Volleyball for the Uttes. Baird has become a vocal team leader during her senior season.