Oct. 15, 2002

By John Pizzitola
Media Relations Student Assistant

Coming off a preseason stress fracture injury to her left foot, redshirt freshman Lisa Boyd has made an immediate impact on the court. In the four matches that Boyd has played, she has averaged 6.75 kills, two digs, and 20.5 attacks per match. In her first outing, against Colorado, Boyd had seven kills, one dig, a solo block, and a block assist.

Hailing from Farmington, Mo., Boyd played high school volleyball and basketball at Farmington High School. She was a three-time all-conference and all-district volleyball player, was a member of the KREI-Radio Dream Team and named MVP twice.

Boyd redshirted last year, giving her an added year of experience participating with the team.

"I feel a lot more comfortable with the team, and with the coaches, and with everything that we do in practice," Boyd said. "I feel like I already know what I'm doing. I feel a lot more comfortable with the game."

Her comfort with the game has been proven in her ability to play several positions on the court this season. Boyd has played middle blocker and right side for the Tigers.

"There's not really a set position," Boyd said. "It's kind of fun getting to know all the positions and getting to play at those positions. It keeps it exciting so next year whichever position they (coaches) decide to put me in, I'll have some background. I feel like I'm more flexible to change and they feel more comfortable about it."

Boyd's first start of the season and career came on Oct. 5, as the Tigers traveled to Lubbock, Texas to take on Texas Tech.

"It felt good. Of course, your first time out you're kind of nervous. I knew I was going to start so it made me feel good that the coaches had the confidence in me to start me. It gave me confidence to go in and play. I was nervous, but it was exciting and fun."

Before deciding on making Mizzou her home, Boyd also considered attending St. Louis University, Southwest Missouri State, and various other schools around her hometown. But in the end, Boyd decided on MU.

"The girls were the main reason," she said. "And the coaches have been doing camps for my high school so I knew them really well and I knew they were really good coaches."

Boyd's father has also been able to lend a hand in the development of his daughter as a collegiate athlete. Her father played college basketball at St. Louis University and has been able to help her through the ups and downs of being a collegiate athlete.

"My dad has always been real supportive of me and he pushed me to always work hard," Boyd said. "I can always call him at the end of a really hard day and talk to him and he's always supportive because he knows where I'm coming from. He knows about the days that weren't so good and then when you're really excited about a day, he just understands everything."

Despite her early injury and being forced to sit out the Tigers first 13 games, it seems as though Boyd has been able to get back into the swing of things.

"Physically I don't think it was a big thing," she said. "It's just mentally getting into the swing of things."

She had a career high nine kills against Iowa State, a career high 25 attacks against Colorado and Nebraska, and a career high .333 hitting percentage against Texas Tech and she looks to build on her performances as the season and her career at Mizzou progress.