EDINBURG – University of Texas-Pan American Broncs volleyball senior Nausheen Merchant grew up playing soccer and thought someday she would go to college to play soccer.
 
"My whole life I thought I was going to play soccer in college," Merchant said. "Towards my junior and senior year, I decided that whenever I was playing volleyball it was more fun than playing soccer. Instead of trying to go with the sport that I was more familiar with I decided to go with the one that I was having more fun with."
 
Instead, Merchant is in her second season with the Broncs where she plays libero and through 23 matches is averaging 3.22 digs per set.
 
Merchant, the Houston native, started playing volleyball in the seventh grade. She was introduced to the game after she had to attend her older sister's practices and she figured she would try it too.
 
"Soccer was my main sport but my older sister played volleyball and I always got dragged to her practices," Merchant said. "Volleyball just ran in my family."
 
One of the things that Merchant liked about volleyball was the fact that while having fun on the court, she could do all that with her best friends.
 
"My favorite memories were that I was always with my best friends," Merchant said. "It seemed like the people that I played volleyball with were the ones I hung out with outside of school. Just being able to travel with them and play with them was the best thing."
 
As Merchant played volleyball through junior high and made her jump into high school, her eighth grade volleyball coach also made the jump with her. Having her coach by her side was important for Merchant.
 
"My coach in high school was also my coach when I was in the eighth grade," Merchant said. "When I moved up to high school, she got the coaches job so she was my coach from when I was 13 years old to 18 years old. She helped me get to Panola College and she became my mentor along the way."
 
After high school, Merchant wanted to play collegiate volleyball and she got some help from an unexpected source. A rival school's coach had a son playing baseball at Panola College and when he found out that they needed a libero, he put in a good word for Merchant.
 
"One of our rival school's head coach had a son that played baseball at Panola," Merchant said. "He told the coach at Panola that he knew a libero and they ended up looking at me. They liked the way I played so I went there."
 
Merchant was glad she went to Panola College. She knew that it would change her as a person, something that every teenager has to do as they take that next step in life.
 
"At the end of the day, I am glad I went because I learned a lot of things that helped me grow into a better person," Merchant said. "I definitely had to grow up and take on more responsibilities. I had to take account for my own actions and know that every action I make has a reaction to it, whether it is good or bad."
 
Merchant twice earned First Team All-Conference, First Team All-Region and Libero of the Year honors while at Panola. As a sophomore, she averaged 4.44 digs per set while also recording 24 aces in 26 matches.
 
Heading into the 2013 season, the Broncs were in need of a libero and once again someone would put in a good word for Merchant, this time with Broncs head coach Brian Yale.
 
"One of the coaches that I had talked to originally knew coach Yale and he knew they had an opening at libero," Merchant said. "At one of our tournaments, coach Fredrick came and saw me play. She took the tape back to coach Yale, who I had known since his time at Stephen F. Austin, and we ended up meeting again."
 
Several factors were taken into account when choosing to attend UTPA. Merchant liked the fact that she could remain in Texas, that the Rio Grande Valley was somewhat familiar, with her mother being from McAllen and most importantly that it felt like home.
 
"My mom is originally form McAllen so it was familiar to me," Merchant said. "I liked coach Yale. Like I said, I knew him before and it was almost like being at home."
 
When asked what the difference between a junior college and UTPA was, Merchant responded with one word: freedom.
 
"I know that sounds funny but junior college was so small and everyone knows everyone," Merchant said. "Its similar here but coach is a little more relaxed. He knows we are a little older and we get a little bigger degree of freedom."
 
Going from junior college to UTPA brought a lot of change for Merchant but she learned that she was very adaptable to change.
 
"I have learned that I am very adaptable to change," Merchant said. "Going from high school to junior college brought a lot of changes and then going from junior college to here brought even more changes. I realized that I am able to change quickly."
 
In her first year at UTPA, Merchant was named a tri-captain and kept the title heading into her senior season. Merchant knows that being a captain comes with some extra responsibilities.
 
"It comes with extra leadership roles and holding your team to a higher accountability," Merchant said. "You have to be the one who is not afraid to get in someone's face and have them mad at you once in a while."
 
It was an honor for Merchant to be named a captain in her first season with the Broncs. It meant that her teammates trusted and believed in her but it wasn't just given to her. She had to earn it.
 
"It felt amazing," Merchant said. "I felt like it proved my leadership skills. It felt good to know that even though I was new on the team a lot of my teammates had my back and looked to me for that role. Leadership is a lot about being vocal and you have to lead by example. People notice when you go hard everyday and give a 110 percent and hopefully others will follow those kind of steps."
 
Merchant's first season didn't go quite as she planned. Although she played in 19 matches and averaged 3.23 digs per set, she went down with an injury that ended her season short. Her road to recovery was difficult but Merchant had the support to push through.
 
"I had a great support system," Merchant said. "I had support from my trainers, my teammates, my friends and family. It was definitely difficult but I knew everyone was there for me. I knew that coming back was going to be a long journey but it was very possible."
 
For the past four years, Merchant has grown accustomed to being around her teammates, whether it is on the court or in the dorm rooms. That is something that she will miss after she graduates.
 
"I am definitely going to miss seeing my friends everyday," Merchant said. "I can't imagine going to live somewhere where I don't come home to my roommates or to my volleyball team."
 
Merchant is majoring in biology and wants to continue her education in the physician's assistant program.
 
"Hopefully I can get into the physician's assistant program here and become a physician's assistant for sports therapy and sports surgery," Merchant said. "I would described it as being in between a nurse and a doctor."
 
As one of the leaders on the team, Merchant is someone that her teammates can look up to. Merchant wants her teammates to remember some important things.
 
"I would say that change is good," Merchant said. "It is going to be different but it is what you make of it. Remember that volleyball is just a game, so have fun with it and don't get stressed out about it. Also, you have to work hard each and everyday because the days you take for granted someone else doesn't have those possibilities."
 
As she looks back, Merchant is glad that she came to UTPA.
 
"I think that everything happens for a reason," Merchant said. "I have had fun here and have learned a lot. I definitely loved that I came here and I want to finish my senior season strong."

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