Ava TeStrake: Balancing Nursing and Volleyball

Being a student athlete already comes with many challenges. Between studying, practice, exams, and travelling for matches it can all get pretty overwhelming and feel like there is no time in the day. But, junior Ava TeStrake shows Creighton this is possible and even balances nursing clinicals on top of all her student athlete work. 

Being a nursing major isn’t uncommon for Creighton volleyball players though. Recent seniors Norah Sis and Kendra Wait both will be graduating as nursing majors, and graduate student Kiara Reinhardt will be graduating with her master’s as well as a nursing major. These girls show that it is possible to excel both academically and athletically. 

Ava TeStrake is a right side from Olathe, Kansas. While she did not have much playing time the past two years, she has been playing exceptionally during the spring matches and is looking to move to a more permanent position on the starting lineup. For her, balancing nursing school and volleyball has been a challenge but proves to be incredibly rewarding. 

“It is difficult to balance schoolwork while being on the road in season, but I always try to fit in study time when I can. Whether that’s on the plane, bus, or when we have downtime at the hotel,” TeStrake said. 

As Creighton is the furthest team away in the Big East, there is many hours of travel. But, the girls stay disciplined in order to achieve all their goals. TeStrake said, “Sometimes my teammates and I will have little study dates on the road and it helps us stay motivated to get our work done when we can work on it at the same time.” The volleyball team cultivates a culture of excellence, and it seems that all the girls push each other to be the best. 

TeStrake also talked about balancing her clinical schedule with practices and how the coaches help the players. She said, “All our coaches, nursing professors, and academic advisors are awesome with helping to make sure it all works together with class and volleyball. I will likely be late to some practices in the Fall, but our coaches are super understanding and very supportive and want us to major in whatever we are interested in.” This is truly amazing for Creighton as girls on the team are all different majors including pre-law, journalism, marketing, and exercise science. It is clear that Creighton is a special volleyball culture because all these girls have very different interests but play so well together. 

Creighton is also a rarity in the volleyball world. TeStrake said, “It's super awesome because Creighton is one of the only top volleyball programs that even allows their players to major in Nursing, since the volleyball and clinical schedules tend to conflict with each other.” Having girls on the team who will be up at 5am for a 12 hour shift of clinicals and then be at their best for a match the same night is a testament to both the players and the coaching staff. 

However, it is not always easy for the girls as there is exam season and many long nights of travel. TeStrake commented, “The hardest part is probably just balancing all the schoolwork with our busy schedules. It's definitely a grind during season, but so worth it!”

The dedication these girls show is very impressive and it pays off in Big East championships and Elite 8 appearances. When asked what her favorite part about being a student athlete at Creighton is, TeStrake said, “All the amazing people that I have met along the way. The people here at Creighton truly make this place so special and I'm so grateful to be part of it!”

You can catch Ava TeStrake on the court this fall repping the white and blue along with all her teammates who are incredible student athletes!