Moving from the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex in Texas to the plains of Nebraska is a big enough jump on its own.
Joining the first-ever men’s volleyball team in the state’s history adds another level of pressure. But for Austin McLeroy, a junior transfer from Central Christian College of Kansas, the transition required one more essential element: a choir folder.
While McLeroy, a sociology major, is a key part of the groundbreaking Bronco men’s volleyball program at Hastings College, he’s also found a home on the risers. We reached out to him to talk about the move, the music, and the “real” reason he joined the Hastings College Choir.
The Power of Unification
For McLeroy, the bridge between the volleyball court and the choir loft isn’t as wide as you might think. While many might assume the lung capacity of an athlete helps with singing, he sees the connection through a different lens: teamwork.
“Playing volleyball, you learn to act as a team and an individual,” McLeroy said. “That is essential to a choir sounding its best. A unified choir is unmatched.”
Though he loves the adrenaline of a match, music is what anchors him. Having grown up bonding with his mom over car rides filled with music — and recently picking up both guitar and bass — Austin considers music his “soul at its core.”
“If I lost the ability to walk or run or jump, I would be okay after a while,” he said, “but music is a non-negotiable.”
Q&A with Austin McLeroy
Q: Coming to Nebraska for volleyball is a huge move. Why add choir to an already busy schedule?
Austin: The real answer is because of a girl — but my media training says to say otherwise. Choir has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and even though I changed sports I never stopped choir!
Q: How has joining choir helped you integrate into the Hastings College community as a transfer student?
Austin: It allowed me to meet people I never would have imagined I would have met. Shout out Clark!
Q: What would you say to another athlete who is nervous about trying out for a music ensemble?
Austin: I would push them to go to one rehearsal. This is not a make or break moment – they can have time. I almost joined the choir in the first semester, however, I joined later, and everyone accepted [me] as if I joined the first semester. The director is also very good about scheduling around other commitments with notice!
The Closing Huddle
If Austin were giving a “locker room speech” to his fellow athletes, his message would be simple: music is a universal language. He points out that we often love songs in other languages without understanding a single word — that is the power of unification.
Whether he’s spiking a ball or hitting a harmony, McLeroy is proving that at Hastings College, you don’t have to choose between being an athlete and an artist. You can be both.