During her time in a Greater Latrobe volleyball uniform, Lily Fenton rewrote the record books. After she concluded her decorated career with the Wildcats, though, she spent her first two seasons at the University of Notre Dame watching from the bench. With steady improvement behind the scenes, Fenton is now a crucial piece for the Fighting Irish in her senior campaign. She’s in the spotlight in this installment of the Westmoreland Alum Q&A.

Fenton joined the Greater Latrobe varsity team as a freshman in 2019, but the Wildcats struggled, going just 3-9 in section play, and failing to qualify for the WPIAL postseason.

The next year, Greater Latrobe improved to 7-4 in the section, reaching the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs. From there, however, the Wildcats bowed out against Seneca Valley in the first round.

In 2021, Fenton emerged as one of the best players in Pennsylvania, as she garnered First-Team All-Section, First-Team All-WPIAL, and First-Team All-State accolades. As a result, Greater Latrobe compiled a mark of 13-4 overall, including 9-3 in the section. Back in the WPIAL Class 4A postseason, the Wildcats fell to Shaler Area in the opening round.

As a senior in 2022, Fenton once again garnered All-Section and All-WPIAL honors, and she was named the Section MVP. Boosted by her efforts, the Wildcats went 18-2 overall, including an undefeated regular season that featured a 12-0 mark in section play. In the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, the Wildcats defeated Franklin Regional and Mars Area before falling to South Fayette in the semifinals. However, the Cats advanced to the PIAA Class 3A bracket, where they lost to North Catholic in the first round.

In her outstanding career with Greater Latrobe, Fenton served as a three-time team captain and set the career assist mark.

With her high school career in the rear view, she accepted a preferred walk-on opportunity at the University of Notre Dame, joining the program as a setter in 2023. She did not see any game action, though, as the Fighting Irish went 11-15 overall, including 5-13 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The next year, Fenton again failed to appear in any matches. Collectively, Notre Dame achieved a mark of 12-17 on the year, including 5-15 in the ACC.

As a junior last year, Fenton played in 10 matches, including five starts. She accumulated one kill, 153 assists, a pair of aces, and 54 digs for the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame went 12-16 overall, improving to 9-11 in the ACC.

This year, Fenton has developed into a top performer, playing in 18 matches, producing three kills, 235 assists, three aces, and 94 digs. To this point, Notre Dame has gone 4-15 overall, including 1-9 in the ACC.

As her senior season continues, Lily took time to answer questions about her favorite college road venues, the impact of her high school volleyball coach, and a hidden talent she possesses.

Q: How have you evaluated your performance this season?

A: I am happy with my performance so far this season. I wanted to show up for the team in a leadership/upperclassman role, and I feel like I have done that, on and off the court.

Q: You did not play at all during your freshman and sophomore seasons. What were the challenges that came with that?

A: I came to Notre Dame with the understanding that I probably would not see the court as an underclassman. I knew choosing Notre Dame would be choosing hard, and it certainly has been. It's hard to show up every day behind the scenes and then not get the opportunity to compete when the lights are on, but choosing the path I did allowed me to grow immensely under the older girls and get a new perspective on being a team player.

Q: What are the underappreciated aspects of playing setter?

A: When most people think of volleyball, they picture the big blocks, digs, and kills, but can overlook the setting aspect of the game. As a setter, you control so much of the game. You have to not only know the pulse of your team, but also tune into the dynamics of the other side. Knowing which hitters to set in what moments and which blockers to attack or avoid in moments is so important. The best setters are so good because of their decision-making, not so much their abilities, and I think that is something that most people don't realize about setting.

Q: What team and individual goals did you establish for this season?

A: My biggest individual goal for the season was to leave a lasting impact on this team and program. As a senior, I wanted to make sure that when I'm done, our Notre Dame volleyball family will say I contributed positively to my teammates, coaches, program, and community. Whether that be on or off the court, if I've done that, I've done my job. Our biggest team goal has been to make the NCAA tournament.

Q: What has been your favorite road venue?

A: I've had the opportunity to take a foreign tour and play in Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, and Greece; you can't really beat that. There was also always something so special about playing at Pitt. To play in what I considered my hometown against one of the top teams in the country, it's a big "I made it" moment.

Q: What led to your decision to attend Notre Dame?

A: I knew Notre Dame would challenge me to grow in every aspect of my life, and I wanted that challenge for myself. Being at Notre Dame has made me a better human in so many different ways.

Q: What is your major and ideal future profession?

A: I am majoring in civil engineering, and my dream job would be in the construction industry designing and building custom homes.

Q: Aside from volleyball, what has been your favorite aspect of college?

A: The community! The Notre Dame family is something so special and something I value so much about my college career.

Q: In high school, you played under longtime coach Drew Vosefski. What impact did he have on your career?

A: Coach V gave me confidence on days I didn't believe in myself. When you are young and in sports, the wrong coach can turn a kid away so quickly, and for me, it was the opposite. It was because of him and the other amazing coaches I had that I poured everything into volleyball

Q: What was your fondest high school memory?

A: My senior season - we had a historic season, but more importantly, we were so close as a team. We still text in our group chat nowadays, saying how much we miss each other and reminiscing about when we all played together.

Q: You come from a family of athletes. What influence did that have you on?

A: It wasn't until my brother Reed committed to play basketball at Lehigh that I decided I wanted to play in college, and I leaned on him so much throughout my own decision of where to commit. My athletic drive comes from my whole family and is sustained by their love and support.

Q: If you could change one rule about college volleyball, what would it be?

A: It might be controversial, but I would bring back the 2-ball call. For those who don't know, it was a recent rule change that changed the technique of setting. I love it at the college level, but I think the younger ages won't be as technically good now that the rule is gone.

Q: What artist or genre of music do you listen to when getting pumped up for a game?

A: Anything upbeat and fun. We like to dance and keep ourselves loose before games.

Q: What is a hidden talent you possess or a little-known fact about you?

A: I can juggle.