Catching Up With Fran Durso

Name while at LHU (if different)*:	Fran Durso
High School*:	Susquehanna
Years played/attended LHU*:	1992-93 player, 94-96 student assistant
Degree/Major*:	HPE
Current Job*:	Therapeutic Staff Support
Current Hometown*:	Great Bend Pa
Family:	Husband and 6 year old Olivia
Share with us a few of your fondest memories at Lock Haven.:	My freshman year was Coach Justice ' s first year as well. We both grew a lot that year! The uniforms were long sleeves and long shorts. The following year were bloomers (not so comfy), and then the next year was spandex (thank you very much) and tshirts. Volleyball went through a lot of changes the first few years? But each of those years got better and better, and harder and harder because Coach wanted us to win. We made some tight bonds that hold true today in those years and we all still connect with each other, which is a great blessing! My senior year was heartbreaking because we were so very close to winning it all. But it was all the more sweeter when the players and coaches brought home the very first PSAC trophy for LHU in 1996! I still have the picture and the memories of that moment we won! Jumping up and down like a bunch of school girls! I was so excited to be part of volleyball and am thankful to this day that I was. It's strange now in my 40's to not think of volleyball memories when I think of college - it's what I remember most, and to share it with the cool people, and to be the start of something great. ..it's very sweet and I am honored to have been through it.
What were your greatest accomplishments on and off the court at LHU?:	I got most improved my freshman year - I came from a small town with no scholarship and Coach Justice was tough but kind. I never before lifted weights in my life and loved it because it was something I excelled at far more than on the court. I remember the wins and the losses, but all of the dinners and hotel rooms and laughter. Our senior banquet was very special and full of tears.
What did playing volleyball at Lock Haven enable you to accomplish?:	Learning to not play like a girl, but a volleyball player. To suck it up because my weak mind would affect others and make them run if I whined or gave up. To love my teammates and share in the joy and pain. To treat others with respect and recognize when I was being a jerk. To never ever ever give up.
What does being a part of the Lock Haven Volleyball family mean to you?:	Family. Respect. Being able to return and still feel the energy.
Who are some of the people at LHU that you are most thankful for?:	Coach Justice. ANGIE SHUE ERDLEY. All my teammates! All of them!
What is the greatest lesson you learned being an athlete at Lock Haven?:	Never ever ever give up. And water is for wimps. And tape is for wimps. And 8-6-4 - 2's is a great way to torture athletes.
What advice would you give to a senior student-athlete leaving LHU for the real world.:	Keep in touch. 20 years later you have a bond that no one else will understand.
What advice would you give to a freshman coming in to Lock Haven?:	Suck it up, it's not like high school and they are gonna work you until you want to give up. But don't you dare - it's totally worth it in the end!