Molly Karagyaurov, Head Volleyball Coach at MidAmerica Nazarene University, sat down with KC Athletes to discuss MNU’s volleyball program, coaching during the pandemic, and her love for sports.
Karagyaurov, a Lee’s Summit native, tries to find athletes with a “gym rat mentality” who love the game. She described that athletes in this generation don’t actually watch much volleyball or sports on television, which is different than how she consumed sports as a young athlete. Karagyaurov said, “That just wasn’t me, and that wasn’t the people that I was growing up with.” During her sit-down with KC Athletes, Karagyaurov discussed the importance of having a love for the game and athletic competition.
When the pandemic shut down MNU’s spring semester, Karagyaurov’s initial focus was making sure that her athletes finished the semester academically. Her focus then shifted to making sure that her athletes maintained good mental health. Karagyaurov told her athletes what she was doing in her own life to stay healthy, which included taking vitamins, increasing water intake, and practicing good sleep habits. Karagyaurav stressed that her philosophy is to treat her athletes like adults. She provided them with information and allowed them to make their own choices to maintain their health.