Quick Q&A: Lauren Clark, Armstrong volleyball

Clark, a 6-1 outside hitter, led the Falcons with 444 kills this season. She recently verbally committed to longtime Big Ten and national power Penn State.

Q: Why volleyball?

A: My mom played volleyball and I've always been one of the tallest people my age. I was just drawn to it.

Q: What is your favorite part?

A: [Blocking] sounds a little mean, but shutting down another person, that kind of feels good.

Q: What is your top skill?

A: The last time I checked, I had a 32-inch vertical. I've trained really hard, but a lot of it comes naturally. A couple of times I've been hit in the face because I've jumped too high when I was blocking.

Q: Do you look up to any player?

A: Probably [Champlin Park's] Sydney Hilley. She's good at everything and supports her team. And I play club with her sister [Sami], so I'm around her a lot.

Q: Penn State is a big-time program. How did you catch their eye?

A: Bigger schools started contacting me at the nationals in Indianapolis in late June. I was getting contacted by Wisconsin, Purdue, Minnesota, Iowa. Penn State was a dream school, but I didn't know they wanted me.

Q: Describe the recruitment process.

A: I'd gone on a couple of visits to Purdue and Kansas and [Penn State] contacted me to come out and visit. I got out there about two weeks later and I fell in love with the area and State College. It had everything I wanted: Good volleyball reputation, seven national championships. I connected with the girls on the team.

JIM PAULSEN