College Volleyball Star Lauren Stivrins Shares Swimsuit Selfie

Former University of Nebraska volleyball champion Lauren Stivrins took some time over the summer to relax and get some sun in Scottsdale, Arizona. Stivrins shared a picture of herself soaking up the sunshine in a red lace-up bikini, a dark sun hat protecting her face. “Super athlete to supermodel,” an admiring fan commented. Here’s what Stivrins has to say about playing professional volleyball and what she’s been up to.

1. Big Life Change

Stivrins went through intensive rehab after getting injured, and chose not to follow in the footsteps of other athletes by going overseas to play. “My body was fatigued. It had been a long season, and I was still doing my rehab,” she says. “I really had a chance to finish that out, calm down and get my feet under me. Especially after such a big life change — graduating from college and packing up the last six years of my life — I wasn’t ready to do all that over again in a foreign country.”

2. Drafting a Team

Stivrins acted as captain for the Athletes Unlimited professional league, and was responsible for drafting a team. “Even though I am the youngest (player), it’s nice to feel that my voice matters and people want to hear what I have to say,” she says. “I think that there is something really special here, and I’m really glad that I decided to come out here… It’s a player-led league. So if ever there’s something that’s bothering you, or whatever, everyone is so willing to help and everyone is so supportive here, and it’s honestly such a breath of fresh air.”

3. Italian Volleyball

Stivrins signed with Italian club Il Bisonte Firenze in 2022, which turned out to be a great adventure. “Most of these people have played overseas and have either played there or played against them,” she says. “Everyone has had really great things to say, and they said Florence was one of their favorite cities.”

4. Exploring the World

Stivrins loves to travel and blogs about her experiences. “Shanghai is one of the fastest growing and most modern cities in China. These were taken as we walked along Shanghai for the last time! We were able to shop around the older areas of Shanghai which were quite colorful and unique from any structures we would see in the U.S.,” she captioned a post.

5. Spontaneous Adventures

Stivrins jokes about being spontaneous when it comes to travel and spending time with friends, judging by her social media posts. “Went to visit @kaylanier in Puerto Rico less than a week after she signed her contract. Are we spontaneous girlies or do we just have separation anxiety? I guess we’ll never know,” reads the tongue-in-cheek caption on an Instagram post.

Lacrosse champion Alex Aust is sharing throwback summer bikini pictures to herald the approach of the colder months. Aust, who is a Team USA gold medalist, posted a snap of herself wearing a tiny bikini while posing in the surf at the beach, looking fit and sunkissed. “When AA reminds you she creates magic,” Aust commented about famed photographer Alex Ashman. So how does she do it? Here are 5 ways Aust stays fit, strong, and happy.

1. HIIT Workouts

Aust is a big fan of HIIT workouts, and shares her routines online. “HIIT can help to decrease body fat, increase strength and endurance, and improve health outcomes, but it is not necessarily better than other exercise formats,” say the experts at Harvard Health. “Its main appeal is that it can achieve similar fitness and health benefits in a shorter duration, and that it includes periods of rest.”

2. Say No To the Scales

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Aust refuses to weigh herself, instead focusing on her strength and energy. “As athletes, we don’t have that stick-thin body type, but at the end of the day, our bodies are our vehicles,” says Nicole Aust, Alex’s sister and former Maryland Lacrosse teammate. “If Alex’s body is skinny and small, it’s not going to perform the way she wants it to on the field and she’s learned to cherish that.”

3. Professional Trainer

Aust developed at-home workout The Sweaat Life to continue working out during the pandemic lockdowns. “All of the things that I am involved with, I think back to my training at Maryland, hearing Cathy’s [Reese] voice in the back of my head, telling me to believe in myself,” she says. “That definitely is something that I constantly reflect back on when I do something or I put myself out there for another goal I am trying to reach.”

4. Sports Illustrated Model

Aust was emotional about her photoshoot for Sports Illustrated, as she worked incredibly hard to make it happen. “I felt every emotion I had in the past eight months,” she says about seeing the pictures for the first time. “Working my butt off to be the best version of myself. I saw that in a moment. I never realized a photo of yourself could be that powerful.”

5. She’s a Role Model

Being a role model for young female athletes is something Aust takes seriously and is proud of. “What’s more important than actually playing, though, is being able to reach these young female lacrosse fans,” she says. “That’s my biggest thing. To me, it’s super important that we have the visibility of the WPLL and have it on ESPN3, so that the girls on my club team can watch us play and see these high level athletes and hopefully in 15 years see them on these teams, which would be really, really cool.”

Former Wisconsin Badgers volleyball star Danielle Hart enjoyed a magical trip to Joshua Tree over the summer, taking a jeep for the best road trip with a friend. Hart shared pictures of the mini getaway, including ones of her posing in the car wearing a black bikini top and shorts. “A top tier day trip 🤌🏼,” she captioned the post. “This is sick,” commented friend and fellow volleyball player Kendall Kipp. Here’s how Hart got through a serious injury and came out better than ever.

1. ACL Injury

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Hart went through physical rehabilitation after tearing her ACL during practice. “I didn’t scream. I didn’t shed a tear,” she says. “Having heard of the dreaded pops from other ACL injuries, I was in complete denial. I was convinced my kneecap just moved over and slipped back in place. I was convinced that they were wrong, that it was different. As I was lifted off the court, I completely believed this was not the end for me. Just as quickly as I had denied an injury that would sideline me for the rest of the season– an injury that would burn my last chance at chasing a national championship with the remainder of my recruited class– I knew without a doubt I had torn my ACL and would be coming back without them the following year.”

2. Valued Player and Role Model

Hart’s return to volleyball after her injury was celebrated by her teammates. “She’s out of the shadows,” UW coach Kelly Sheffield said. “Everybody here in this program knows how important of a player she’s been, but I think some others are going to be able to see how important she is. A lot of her friends have left, but one of the things I’ve been really impressed with is how she has taken these guys, especially the younger ones, and has them over for meals, drives them places. She is such a mentor. She’s impacting not just this year but the future with how she’s going about things, serving others. Her spirit will be here long after she leaves.”

3. Intense Rehab

As difficult as rehab was for Hart, she grew from the experience. “As intense as the rehab itself may have been, the training room quickly became a sort of oasis for me,” she says. “I met my physical therapist, Bailey Lanser, the day after surgery. As it turns out, the morning after I went down at practice was Bailey’s first official day working at UW. If you ask me, I don’t think that was a coincidence. She quickly became the person I leaned on the most day-to-day. This extended far beyond her incredible knowledge, creativity, and encouragement. The energy, genuine care, and attention she brings for every one of her patients continues to amaze me every day I’m around her.”

4. New Roles

Hart happily took on new responsibilities in the wake of her injury and rehabilitation. “At the time, I was thinking that I had gotten what I was looking for out of the program,” she says. “I never had thought about the fact that without a lot of the people I came in with in that class, such incredible people and incredible leaders, that there was a lot more stretching that could be done. So that’s what’s cool about this injury. I am really getting stretched and I’m finding myself grow even more. I’m surprising myself at how comfortable I feel and how natural these roles feel now that I simply didn’t have in years past.”

5. Confidence In Herself

Hart’s athletic journey has given her a strong sense of confidence in her own abilities. “They say challenging times are when you find out who you are,” she says. “In many ways, Wisconsin Volleyball accelerated that process for me. My injury solidified that. Somewhere along the way I’ve developed, to an extent, an unshakable confidence. This doesn’t mean I am never uncomfortable or nervous. It does mean that as I have learned what it is I value most, what ignites my fire, I’ve learned to trust myself, what it is I love, and my work ethic. I have discovered a real empowering sense of freedom to be myself and a fearlessness to chase whatever it is that sparks my interest.”

Caitlin Clark is a superstar in women’s basketball. She first made waves in the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournament, as a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes team. Clark was the Division 1 leader in points and three-points, and broke a record in assists. Clark was the first pick in the WNBA draft, and currently plays for the Indiana Fever. She and her teammate, Lexi Hull, had a lake day, and Katie Lou Samuelson shared a photo of the two on her Instagram story. How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Caitlin Clark stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Plays Basketball

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Naturally, basketball is the main way Clark stays in shape. Fitness Advisory states that the sport can strengthen your body. “Basketball requires you to jump while playing, as well as running back and forth multiple times. In a basketball game, you rely on your body positioning and the ability to maintain that position when an opponent is pushing against you. This is why playing basketball can strengthen all parts of your body, especially your core muscles, neck, lower back, and arms.”

2. She Swims

As you can see from the Instagram story, Clark likes to swim to stay in shape. Swimming.org states that the activity has a lot of benefits. “Swimming uses all the muscles in the body so whether you swim a gentle breaststroke or hammer butterfly, you will get a full body workout. Plus, exercising in water makes your body work harder so 30 minutes in a pool is worth 45 minutes of the same activity on land.”

2. She Plays Golf

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Clark loves to play golf. She talked about how she got into the sport and what she likes about it to Golf Digest. “Our coaches were like, ‘You need to get away from the gym,’ even though that’s really hard for me to do sometimes. I still want to be active and do something, so I’m going to go to the golf course. You can clear your mind, do something you really love, and have the peace and quiet of just your friends around or even just yourself. I love being able to escape reality for a little bit.”

4. She’s Working On Herself

Clark tells Golf Digest that she wants to get tougher in her sports. “Something I can always improve on is my mental toughness. You have one bad shot on the golf course or on the basketball court, you gotta move on to the next. Obviously in basketball, I have four other girls on the court with me that I can lean on if I’m not having a good day or shooting well. If I’m on the golf course, it’s all on me. You have to accept that not every day is gonna be great for you. That’s helped me by translating that to basketball.”

5. She’s Grateful

Clark is extremely grateful to the fans that supported her during the NCAA, and made sure to thank the fans after a game. “I think the people that have made it the most special, obviously my teammates, my coaches,” Clark said. “But it isn’t what it is without all of you I mean that and I thank you. This is special. I don’t know if you guys realize what you’re doing for women’s basketball and women’s sports in general, but you’re changing it. You’re helping us change it.”

Ohio State volleyball star Rylee Rader spent the summer traveling around Europe with her friends, having the time of her life. Rader shared pictures of her vacation in Italy and Greece, including snaps of herself posing in the ocean in a blue bikini. “Life the past few weeks has been cool!” she captioned the post. “Straight from a movie 🎬,” an admirer commented. How does Radar stay fit and focused every semester? Here’s what it takes to be a champion.

1. School Pictures

Rader took a picture with a sign saying “First Day of Fourteenth Grade” to send to her mother, something she grew up doing and continues every year. “Growing up, my mom was all about getting first day of school pictures in the morning before she drove me to school, and I still continue that tradition,” she says.

2. Hydration and Snacks

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Rader makes sure to stay hydrated and have healthy snacks on hand during the day. “[I like to have] My iPad and computer, so I can follow along with my lectures and take notes during class,” she says. “Another important essential is my headphones so I can listen to music while walking to and from class. I will always have my water bottle with me to stay hydrated during the day so I’m ready for practice in the afternoon. I will also carry around a snack in case I get hungry.”

3. Role Model

Rader loves being a role model for younger players. “It’s fun leading the younger girls and just showing them the Buckeye way,” she says. “I don’t really feel a burden. I think it’s something new and different for me, which is exciting, which I’m still trying to get used to because of all the leadership that left this year. It's something new for all of us right now… Spring, everything is new. Everyone’s getting new looks at new places, so it’s uncomfortable. But because it’s uncomfortable, we’re learning and growing up. Hopefully we make that uncomfortable into comfortable.”

4. Sushi Please

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Rader loves sushi, which is not only delicious but packed with omega-3 fatty acids. “In general, the American Heart Association recommends people without a history of heart disease eat at least two servings of fish per week (6 ounces to 8 ounces total),” say the experts at Cleveland Clinic. “If you have heart disease or high triglyceride levels, you may benefit from consuming even more omega-3 fatty acids.”

5. Sport Industry Major

Rader is interested in every aspect of the athletics world, and is studying to expand her knowledge beyond just playing volleyball. “Since I am a sport industry major, most of my classes are about sports, so they are fun and entertaining to be in,” she says. “I will even have a teammate or friend from a different sports team already in my classes to sit by, but if not, it is always fun to make a new friend.”