Lauren’s four year career at Union University spanned 1998-2001. She enjoyed tremendous success on the volleyball court at both the individual and team level. She was part of Union’s first ever recruiting class during the school’s inaugural season under former coach, Brian Dunn.
Lauren was a four-time member of the TranSouth All-Conference Team in 1998, 1999, 2000, and in 2001, in addition to being a two-time TranSouth Player of the Year in 1999 and 2001, a four-time member of the NAIA All-Region Team, and a three time NAIA All-American. She was a four-time NCCAA All-American and the 2001 Player of the Year.
Ms. Martin currently hold 12 Union University individual volleyball records as well as the NAIA record for the most career kills at 3,427. She was a frequent recipient of the TranSouth and NCCAA Player of the Week Awards and featured in Sports Illustrated Magazine in 2001 for her accolades.
During Lauren’s tenure, the Union Lady Bulldogs amassed an overall record of 145 wins and only 35 losses. The team won two TranSouth regular season championships, one TranSouth Tournament championship and three NCCAA Mid-East Regional championships.
Subsequent to obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree in nursing at Union, she worked as a Registered Nurse at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis before “retiring” to become a full-time mother of three: Reagan, age 5, Landon, age 3, and Kennedi, age 1.
Ms. Martin has been involved in volleyball at both the club and high school levels for five years. Together with her sister, former Union University standout, Melinda Massey, and her mother, the trio run a youth volleyball club and conduct personal training sessions and camps to grade school and high-school aged girls. Lauren has also served on the coaching staff of O’Fallon Township High School’s volleyball program in O’Fallon, Illinois for three years.
