John Carroll University is known for its academics and athletics, but it’s really the people who make it so special. One of those people is John Carroll Women’s Volleyball senior and defensive specialist, Payton Miozzi.

Miozzi is from Dayton, OH. She started her volleyball career at eight years old because her mom coached volleyball. Her love for the sport grew, leading her to a state championship win in high school. She recalls this moment as one of her favorite memories.

She wanted to continue playing volleyball in college and, after multiple full-ride offers, she chose JCU because she wanted to be closer to her dad. Currently, she is majoring in psychology with a statistics minor. After graduating she hopes to get a job as an applied statistics assistant. One of her bucket list items is to live in Japan.

When we met to discuss her role on the volleyball team, she instead elaborated on the important lessons that the sport taught her, highlighting her gratitude for what volleyball has created for her. discipline, time management, and prioritizing working hard,” summarized Miozzi.

And there is no doubt that she works hard.

Her best advice is as follows: “To be unafraid of staying true to yourself no matter what that means to you and not be afraid to be different.”

When Miozzi was asked for a what quote or saying she lives by, with no hesitation, she said “Romans 15:5-6”.

After that, Miozzi then went on to directly quote it word for word: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (ESV).”

Miozzi is a fun-loving, creative, thoughtful and overall, genuine human. Miozzi’s favorite song is The Hope Inside by Colony House and her favorite movie is Lord of The Rings, both because of the message behind them.

The question we ended our conversation with was, “Who has made your JCU experience special and has impacted you the most?” Miozzi quickly mentioned Dr. Tracy Masterson, a professor of psychology.

Now, as Miozzi’s volleyball season and college career are coming to an end, it’s only the beginning of her wonderful future.