Senior Spotlight - Victoria Warg
Hazleton, Pa. - Today's featured student-athlete is two-sport athlete and senior, Victoria Warg from Hazle Township, Pa. Tori transferred to her hometown campus in 2017 and joined the women's basketball team for 2018-19 season as well as the women's volleyball team in the fall of 2019. During her two years in a Nittany Lion uniform, Tori made six starts in 31 games over that stretch and played a critical role in the 2018-19 women's basketball playoff run where she averaged 17 minutes per game. Throughout her career with both teams, Tori always made a huge impact on the squad as a phenomenal teammate and leader in the locker room.
Tori is currently in the process of finishing up her degree in Rehabilitation and Human Services. She made the Dean's List five times during her academic career at Hazleton adding two honors to the PSUAC Academic All-Conference team and one selection as a United States Collegiate Athletic Association All-Academic Team. After graduation, Tori plans to take some time off from school before entering the Vocational Rehabilitation Master's program at University Park and eventually apply her talents to working with children with disabilities.
We caught up with Tori recently for a quick Q & A:
What has been your favorite memory while participating in athletics at your campus?
Just being a part of the team, meeting so many new people and engaging in the social aspects outside of practice and games. If I had to pick one it would probably be our volleyball swim practice and pizza party.
How did being an athlete impact your academic career?
It gave me a better idea of how to plan out my time and work through my assignments. I participated in two sports and throughout all of that, my grades continued to go up. It helped me focus and provided a daily regiment for me.
If you could play any other sport, what would it be and why?
Softball. I used to play when I was young. Seeing how close they are on our campus it would be a cool experience to be a part of that group dynamic.
What was your favorite class you took while attending Penn State Hazleton?
I would say RHS-400 with Dr. Huck. He's pretty funny and always made the class enjoyable.
What shows are you currently binge watching?
I'm re-watching some shows. Mostly Teen Wolf and Grey's Anatomy but I'm also watching Outer Banks on Netflix.
What teammate of your is the best one to follow on social media?
Ally Banta. She always posting on Snapchat and Instagram and promotes a lot of healthy lifestyle stuff like workouts and smoothies. Other than Ally some of the best posts I've seen recently having people dressing up their pets. There's a lot of people stuck at home and they're pretty bored!
What is your favorite memory from Penn State Hazleton outside of athletics?
Going a trip with the school to New York City. We were able to go in the winter and I got to ice skate at the Rockefeller Center with some friends which was on my bucket list.
What advice do you have for your younger teammates or recruits looking to play a sport?
Definitely do it. You can't get that experience everywhere and it exposes you to more people and situations that you can grow from. It gave me a full collegiate experience.
What else are you up to during the quarantine?
Pretty much doing home workouts and dog walks. I do my homework and finishing up decorating my graduation cap.
Are there any teammates, players or coaches you would like to thank for having a positive impact on your career?
Many thanks to Coach Amy and Coach Brogan. They were both willing to show me the ropes when I joined the teams. Mekenzie Wolfe and McKenzie Prutsman for hounding me to play basketball in the first place. Thank you to all of my teammates though. They'll be my friends and family for the rest of my life.