Fifth-year Amani McArthur hits the ball to the opposing side during MSU volleyball's matchup against Wisconsin on Oct. 27, 2023 at the Breslin Center.
Amani McArthur's family had their eyes set on basketball, but the fifth-year middle blocker had different plans.
“What mainly got me into volleyball was the fact that a lot of my family wanted me to play basketball,” McArthur said. “So, my main thing was just trying to find something for me that was different from what everybody else wanted. I kind of started to dabble in different sports, and then in middle school, eighth grade is when I started playing. That’s when I was like ... oh yeah, I really kind of like this a lot more than anything else.”
When McArthur steps on the court she always has her family in mind to keep her pushing forward.
"My biggest motivation is making my family proud,” McArthur said. “I’m the only one in my family that plays collegiate sports. So, it’s really just having their support and knowing that they have my back is what makes me want to work harder.”
Transferring schools is a huge decision for college athletes, but when McArthur decided to transfer from Charlotte last summer, it was the MSU atmosphere and culture captivated her.
“What really made me choose MSU was the coaching staff at first,” McArthur said. “In my transfer, like in the transfer process they were really communicative with me and just checking in randomly. They were very open in saying we want you here and then when I came for my visit, they showed me hospitality. Just the energy in the gym was something I really knew that I wanted.”
After many years of playing volleyball, McArthur is proud of how far she has come and her achievements as a Spartan.
“It's honestly really cool,” McArthur said. “Coming from like a good defensive background at Charlotte I knew that was one of my strong suits. “So, it’s obviously a completely different level here but just knowing that my hard work in the gym pays off that way is something I’m proud of.”
As of Oct. 26, McArthur has 15 solo blocks in conference matches which leads the B1G Ten and has 1.17 blocks per set. In the week of Sept. 18, she was also named B1G Defensive Player after winning Most Valuable Player at the Dog Pound Challenge. While she is great at defense, she also helps on the offensive end with a .331 hitting percentage.
