McCutcheon’s athletic talent far outweighs auditory deficit
GREENVILLE, S.C. (BVM) — Most times, to be the cream of the crop at your preferred craft, your sense of hearing is vital. Every first step taken on a fly ball is at the crack of the bat, every snap begins on the quarterback’s cadence and every race starts at the sound of the gun. That’s why we marvel at those people whom the senses don’t matter to.
So is the case for the 2020-21 Gatorade South Carolina Volleyball Player of the Year, Lauren McCutcheon, who is bilateral profound deaf, meaning completely deaf.
The JL Mann Academy star can hear, though, with the use of cochlear implants. She chooses only to wear her right one, which means she still can’t hear from the left side. Of course, this can propose struggles on the volleyball court, but for a superathlete like McCutcheon, this isn’t the case.
“We use a lot of hand signals,” McCutcheon said. “For different types of sets we want, where we are serving, stuff like that.”
And if the ball is anywhere near McCutcheon, hearing doesn’t matter anymore anyways. Her natural instinct and innate volleyball skills allow her to become a beast. While leading her team to the state quarterfinals during her senior season, the outside hitter recorded 334 kills, 195 digs, 35 aces and 27 blocks.
Being hearing impaired hasn’t dampered McCutcheon’s talent one bit, and it’s actually brought about a very unique opportunity. The Deaf Team USA volleyball coach, Lynn Ray Boren, noticed McCutcheon’s true volleyball expertise a couple years ago and brought her aboard. As a member of that national team, McCutcheon got to travel to Brazil for the 2019 Pan American Games and won a gold medal.
“I did not see this coming for myself,” McCutcheon said. “It’s really exciting and I’m so blessed to have JL Mann and the coaches … pushing me to be a better player and same for my club coaches.”
The next step in the 6-foot-1 hitter’s incredible journey is the University of South Carolina. She decided to stay in-state with her commitment, largely due to the fact that her family has substantial ties to the athletics programs there. McCutcheon’s father played both baseball and football for the Gamecocks, while her mom was a softball player. Her older sister currently attends the university to boot.
“The volleyball team is getting stronger and better each year,” McCutcheon said. “So I was like, ‘hmm, I want to continue this little family tradition,’ and I want to make the USC team better and compete in the SEC.”
The Gamecocks were 12-10 this past season, missing the NCAA Tournament. McCutcheon will provide a big boost to the team, one that is being premeditated by head coach Tom Mendoza. McCutcheon initially started her career as a middle, but Mendoza said he’d like to see her as an outside hitter.
That request from her future coach will prove to pay large dividends as McCutcheon had to work relentlessly on a new skillset.
“When you’re a middle you don’t pass at all so passing was a struggle for me,” McCutcheon said. “I worked on it every single day and my ball control is really good now and he (Mendoza) said that when I signed.”
Now the team will be able to seamlessly transition her into the lineup at a spot where Mendoza saw fit. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, you have to think the Gamecocks will find their way back into the NCAA Tournament, and the McCutcheon tradition will live on strongly.
