Spotlight Athlete of the Week

After four years of donning the Portland State colors and displaying her athletic excellence on the volleyball court, Michelle Segun will say goodbye to the Viking faithful one last time in a crucial match versus Sacramento State on Saturday night.

Segun, number four on Portland State’s all-time total blocks list, will be honored in the senior-night festivities before the first serve at the Stott Center.

The Vanguard chatted with the team’s lone senior in her final days as a Viking. Why did you come to PSU?I am from Salem, and I wanted to stay close to home. I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. The coaches seemed really honest, and there was a togetherness here that was different.

What kind of growth have you personally and the team experienced since you came to Portland State?I really love seeing the growth here. Knowing that all of our hard work and effort is starting to pay off, it’s very worth it. The daily routine can be a grind. It can be tough but I have worked hard, and our team has worked hard.

What are you studying?I am an arts and letters major, and I have four minors: communication, Black studies, Spanish and business.

What do you plan to do after you are finished at Portland State?I am not sure. I may try to be an event coordinator or something like that. My husband and I may try to start a business or something.

What is your proudest moment at Portland State?I think it is just realizing how far we have come. It hasn’t even really set in yet that we might be conference champions. We have pushed each other so hard to get better. Just a couple of years before I got here we were like 0-24, and now we could be at the top of the conference.

How has being married affected your life on the court?My husband is my biggest supporter. He is always trying to keep me going and motivate me. He is my backbone.

What is your best on-the-court moment?In 2005, we were playing the University of Montana on senior night here in Portland, and the match had gone to the fifth game, and Montana was leading 8-14. We were able to come back and win (17-15), and that was emotional, and amazing.

If you could change one of your sport’s rules, what would it be?Occasionally, when an official doesn’t know who to call a net violation on, he just picks somebody’s number, and I get more than my share of those.

What is your greatest strength?I think my greatest strength is my work ethic. I feel like I know what it takes, because I have started so low and seen how far we have come, and I know that I never gave up.

What is your favorite place to eat?Buffalo Wild Wings. My husband and I love to eat chicken wings.

Do you have any unique training methods?Well this is kind of a secret, but I sometimes go run up the 12th Avenue stairs and the hill that is right there. It’s a killer.

What is the first thing that you would buy if you won the lottery?I would buy my parents a new house. They have helped me so much in my life and I feel really fortunate. Getting them a house would really give something back to them.

What do you want to do when you graduate?We might try some other places. I was born and raised in Oregon, so it would be nice to see what other places are like. I love the community here. I love the way we all love the Park Blocks and the Viking Horn that is played at the home games.

Have you thought about what it would be like if you won on Saturday night, and were conference champions?It is pretty tough to grasp for me. I don’t think it would really set in for me, but there would probably be some emotion for me, just knowing all of the team’s hard work and effort really paid off.

How often do you read The Vanguard?I read it at least once a week