Double Duty for Lauren Hurst in the future at UT
By Mark Nagi
A quarter century ago, Cleveland High School’s Vincent Yarbrough chose to play basketball at Tennessee. It worked out pretty well for Yarbrough, who went on to play in the NBA. Come this summer, another Blue Raider has chosen to make the University of Tennessee her home.
But Lauren Hurst is taking it to a new level. She will not only play basketball for the Lady Vols, but volleyball as well.
Hurst, a 3-time Gatorade Tennessee Volleyball Player of the Year, is also a 4-star basketball recruit, the top girls prospect in the state, and a top 50 player nationally in hoops for the Class of 2025. She chose Tennessee over Clemson and North Carolina State.
“Between all the schools, Tennessee has a tradition like no other,” said Hurst. “Tennessee was one of the schools telling me I could do both. Their head coaches (Kim Caldwell for basketball and Eve Rackham Watt for volleyball) are both very amazing people and I look forward to getting to know them more. And being from Tennessee, knowing I could play for my state was a big deal that I couldn’t pass up. My grandparents live in Knoxville. That’s where my Dad grew up. It’s nice that they will be able to watch me play.”
Picking one sport over the other wasn’t something Hurst preferred.
“A lot of people ask which sport I like better,” said Hurst. “That’s been the hardest thing when some wanted me to choose one over the other. I love them equally. I joke with my Mom and say I wish I was terrible at one sport and could just focus on the other, but I love both sports so much and that’s why I have stuck with them both.”
Hurst is a throwback in that regard. Today there is a tremendous amount of pressure on young people to concentrate on only one sport from an early age. But Hurst has had a lot of support in her choices.
“I have really good coaches who understand playing two sports takes a lot because they also did it,” said Hurst. “I’ve kind of always done it. Most people think it is too much, but it’s what I’ve always done. In the summer, playing club volleyball and AAU basketball, I’ve had really good coaches.”
“I’ve been coaching for 12 years, and she makes my job a lot easier,” said Cleveland girls basketball coach Bianca Hensley. “She makes her teammates’ job a lot easier. Anytime you have a kid that is 6’3” and very versatile and can go inside and go outside, she opens the floor for so many kids on our team. Just having her be a part of Cleveland High School is so big. We are thankful that we have her at our school. She is a tremendous athlete and a better person.”
Hurst believes that playing volleyball and basketball can be beneficial for each other.
“For volleyball, it is reading the setter and where the ball is going to go,” said Hurst. “You need quick feet to go block, and that has helped with defensive slide in basketball and blocking shots. They go hand in hand.”
Lauren is part of a very athletic family. Her Mom and Dad each played basketball at Mars Hill. Lauren’s siblings are playing sports at the Division 1 level. Her brother, Grant, started his college basketball career at UT-Martin and is now a walk-on at Tennessee. Her sister, Addison, is playing volleyball at South Alabama.
“We are a very competitive family for sure,” said Hurst. “I’ve always looked up to both my brother and my sister. They really made me more competitive and made me fall in love with both sports. My brother played football, baseball and basketball but ultimately liked basketball the best. My sister has played volleyball and basketball with me. We’ve just always been together and played and had that same love for the sport.”
