Danielle McCarson, a redshirt junior for the Morehead State Volleyball Team, spent her first two years on campus as a biology major before deciding she needed to change her focus.
"I don't know why I stuck with it for so long," McCarson said. "It just wasn't for me, and I realized that I was trying to find ways to express myself."
Her parents noticed her taking and editing a lot of photos on her cell phone and surprised her with a camera for Christmas.
"I don't use my phone anymore," McCarson said.
With a new way to express herself, McCarson changed her major to strategic communications with a minor in visual communications. She credits her Digital Foundations class for the change.
"I got to work a lot with my camera going back and forth between shooting and then editing in the classroom," she said.
While traveling with beach volleyball last spring, she used her camera to document their season.
"It was something for fun at first," she said.
Then, the Athletic Media Relations Office used her photos for game recaps on MSUEagles.com.
"This is kind of a big deal, to see it published was a pretty cool experience. That was a turning point for sure," she said.
Over the summer, McCarson focused on outdoor adventure photography when she worked at a Boy Scout high adventure camp. Between paddle boarding, mountain biking, and skateboarding, she had many opportunities to capture the action.
"Since there was always something happening, I never struggled with getting out and getting a shot," she said. "I got a lot of experience learning about the different outdoor sports and the types of shots that come with that. It was a great learning experience."
McCarson hopes to continue growing as a photographer incorporating photography into graphic design while working at a new internship. But for this volleyball season she hopes to help the team grow.
"It's ring season," she said. "We haven't gotten a championship since I've been here, so I hope to play a part in that. We want to turn the program around."
"My main focus is my teammates for sure. They're a really big part of my life in volleyball and outside of it. I love coming into practice and talking with everyone about their days and our struggles in volleyball as well as our victories."
As a defensive specialist McCarson is averaging 3.76 digs per set for her career. Last season she also led her team and ranked second in the Ohio Valley Conference with 37 service aces but for McCarson she is always focused on helping her teammates succeed.
"Getting the big dig, setting my teammates up and then being able to celebrate with my teammates is the most exciting thing for me."
