Volleyball wasn’t just an enjoyable distraction or childhood entertainment for Lauga Gauta.
It was a way for her to see life outside her childhood home.
“Growing up in my household, it was a lot different," said the Utah senior, who is one of nine children. "Like, we’re super close-knit, so it was really hard to leave. But I wanted to spread my wings, and so I was the first one to go and actually leave California.”
Gauta said that when she chose a junior college in Wyoming, her parents were not happy with the decision.
“I was so happy,” she said. “My parents weren’t. My dad was a little bit upset. Having his first child who wanted to do something, like go away, and it’s like, ‘Oh, this is actually happening.’”
She said living so far from her large, loving family was difficult that first year at Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming.
“It was kind of scary, kind of weird,” she said. “But then it caused a ripple effect, and some siblings after me went away for college.”
Her parents may not have been pleased initially, but they quickly became fans of both her decision to pursue a college education and her athletic achievements.
“My dad was like, ‘No, that’s too far. I don’t want you to go,’” the senior outside hitter recalled. “I was just like, ‘I don’t care. I want to do it. I want to see what else I can learn.’ So he didn’t like it the first couple years, but then, once I graduated from junior college, and I was the first ever to graduate from anything, collegiate-wise, now he is like, ‘Keep going!’ My dad is just waiting for my graduation day.”
Gauta got a late start in the sport that earned her a college education.
She chose basketball over volleyball, even though her older sister played volleyball and they’d practice together. She felt basketball fit both her body and her personality a little better.
“I was tall and skinny,” she said. “And I liked basketball more just because it’s an aggressive sport. But then, once I found out that I could hit the ball as hard as I could, I was like, ‘Yep, I’m playing.’”
Gauta has made her mark on the Utah team, even if her playing time has been reduced with the emergence of some of the team.
“LG has played a key role for us,” said Utah head coach Beth Launiere. “It hasn’t always been as a starter. We have such confidence in her, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench for us … she just goes in and makes plays for us.”
Gauta said she looks to see how she can help — and while she prefers to make use of her fierce hitting ability, she’s also happy to contribute as a cheerleader.
“She has one of the best arm swings I’ve ever coached,” Launiere said. “She’s got an all-around game, and she’s just been a great team player. She’s always looking for whatever ways she can contribute, and she’s always adding value in some way.”
Gauta hopes to add value to Utah’s NCAA Tournament aspirations when they head to Provo to take on Denver in the first-round 4 p.m. match at Smith Fieldhouse. BYU plays Stony Brook at 7 p.m., and Gauta said the team is focused on beating Denver, a team they defeated in a tough five-set match early in the preseason, before worrying about the possibility of meeting fourth-seeded BYU on Saturday if they win Friday.
“We’re in Utah,” she said. “This is our home. I’m pretty sure there are going to be a lot of people coming down to watch, and hopefully the momentum is on our side.”
For her, as the lone senior playing after middle hitter Berkeley Oblad’s season ended in August with a knee injury, it’s an opportunity to extend something that’s enhanced, enriched and changed her life for the better.
Choosing to do something difficult after high school and the persevering through the toughest times has given Gauta confidence that she said she otherwise wouldn’t have.
“It was hard, and I struggled a lot being alone,” she said. “I couldn’t really depend on my parents financially, so I had to do it on my own, and it really changed how I think about my own life situation. … I think going to college and getting out on my own is the best thing I could have done.”