Oct. 20, 2009

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Each week, the staff at GoLeopards.com spotlights a student-athlete in a Q&A feature. This week, senior volleyball player Kari Horn talks Neuroscience, roadtrips and more in a special Halloween Q&A.

What's your major and what do you like about your major? I'm a Neuroscience major and I love it because I take classes in all different subjects, like biology, psychology and chemistry. I love learning new things, and what's known about neuroscience is it's always evolving, so it's a perfect fit.

What is your role on the team? I'm a libero so I wear a different color jersey than the rest of the team and go in to pass in the back row. I love my position because it requires you to be quick and on your toes all the time. Every play starts with a pass, so I'm the first person to touch the ball on the court and control the play.

What is your earliest volleyball memory? My sister played and I remember going to her club tournaments when I was really little.

Do you model yourself after any particular player? That would have to be Chad Ochocinco from the Cincinnati Bengals. I try to trash talk as much as I can but I'm kind of far away from the other team in the position I play.

What can you take from your sport and incorporate into everyday life? Definitely learning how to deal with setbacks--matches are best of five sets and it's so important to be able to come back from a loss to beat a team the next game. And knowing how to run a timed mile.

What does it mean to be a Lafayette Leopard? Hating Lehigh with every ounce of your energy.

What is the greatest thing you can learn from a loss? How to beat the team the next time.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? In my semester abroad studying in Denmark, I got to travel to a lot of Europe, which I've always wanted to do, so next on my list is South Africa. It seems like such a unique and exciting country, so I'd love to go.

You have an entire day to do whatever you want. Where do you go and what do you do? I would spend the day in my favorite vacation spot from when I was little, Mackinaw Island, Michigan. It would have to be a sunny summer day, probably around 75 for the high. First I would wake up and go up a long morning run when it's still cool outside in order to get my endorphins going. Then I would come home and have a cup of coffee and read the newspaper while incorporating a lively debate over current events with one of my family members. I would spend the rest of the day doing various things around the island, like riding a bike, going sailing in Lake Michigan, throwing a football, maybe watching some episodes of The Office. At night, I would have a huge barbeque on the beach with all of my family and friends in attendance that would last until late into the night.

The sport I'm worst at is... I think my teammates can vouch for my lack of swimming ability. When we tread in the deep end during pool workouts I have to stay near the wall in case I go under.

Something about me that others would be surprised to hear is... I'm obsessed with celebrity gossip- hearing the latest Gosselin Family drama is why I get out of bed in the morning.

What is your favorite roadtrip (college or otherwise) and why? I had a three-week spring break when I was studying abroad and I spent the entire time traveling through Germany, Poland, Italy, Hungary, France and Ireland. I worked the entire summer to make up for it, but it was completely worth it.

Volleyball-wise, this year we went to Charleston, South Carolina for a tournament and had an awesome time. We got to go on a tour of a plantation where some of the scenes from The Notebook were filmed. We even had a dance party in our van with our coaches on Saturday night, ala Campus Pizza.

Favorite Halloween Candy? Normally, I like pull and peel Twizzlers best, but for Halloween I have to go with the classic candy corn.

Which would you rather? trick or treat? Trick. Our team loves a good practical joke. We regularly do things like hide people's jerseys and play jokes on the freshmen.

TV show I can't stop watching: My roommates (Ashton Rossi and Cara Mulholland) and I are obsessed with Glee.

Song I can't stop listening to: Anything Kanye West. I can look past the Taylor Swift incident.

Word Association:

Lafayette Athletics: Pride

Volleyball: Rewarding

Your coaches: Even-keeled

Your teammates: Hilarious

Lafayette-Lehigh rivalry: Better than Christmas Morning

Preseason: Soreness and cold whirlpool