Photo by: Kyle Calzia / Cal Poly Athletics
Mustang Spotlight: Mariah Whalen — Beach Volleyball
4/14/2022 2:23:00 PM | Beach Volleyball
By: Kalee Graff, Cal Poly Athletics Communications Intern
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Mariah Whalen was a Max Preps All American in high school. She was recruited to the top-ranked team in the nation at the time, University of Wisconsin, for indoor volleyball. There, she was awarded Gatorade player of the year. When she switched to playing Division I beach volleyball, she was awarded several highly acclaimed accomplishments from the conference and AVCA. Even with this list of athletic accomplishments, Whalen has never been able to complete a full season of intercollegiate sports.
Whalen is a redshirt senior from Wausau, Wis. who had dreams of playing for a nationally high ranked indoor team. Luckily, her athletic abilities let that dream be attainable, but she was not expecting to be wanted by the best team in the nation.
Whalen was thriving her freshman season at Wisconsin because she secured a starting position. However, at a practice during that fall season she tore her meniscus.
"I was really bummed given that I had been doing well and had a great start to my freshman year," Whalen stated. "It was a weird feeling because I never had any major injuries before that."
The injury motivated her to come back stronger because she felt inspired watching her teammates grind each and every day without her. After recovering from that surgery, she went to an open gym during the offseason of that same school year. Unfortunately, Whalen retore her meniscus again on the same exact leg.
"It was extremely frustrating to see my teammates having success while knowing I had to rehab again and that it was going to put me behind. But the team culture was so good that I wanted to work my butt off to come back"
Whalen was rehabbed and ready to go by the time sophomore season was rolling around. However, she could feel that something was just not right with her knee and went to get it checked out. This is when she learned that she will needing a third surgery in a span of two years.
"There was a lot of ambiguity with this injury because nothing significant showed up on the MRI so I was starting to question college sports. It was confusing to be working hard for something that was taken away easily by something out of my control."
After recovering from this surgery, Whalen as well as her doctor and coaches came to the conclusion that indoor volleyball was no longer a sport she could play in college. Luckily, beach volleyball is a NCAA sport that encompasses similar skills as indoor volleyball and is a lot easier on the body from an injury standpoint.
Head coach Todd Rogers seized the opportunity when he saw Whalen's name on the transfer portal. "I knew she was a really good athlete. She was very physical, but pretty raw for beach. But I knew she was going to be in my lineup somewhere and I just had to figure out where she was going be."
Transferring to a new school and playing a new sport was exactly what Whalen needed.
"It was a breath of fresh air. I was not thinking about past or future injuries."
Unfortunately, she only got to play a few times during her first season at Cal Poly because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down all NCAA sports. "You show up to practice one day and it's just over. It was not really setting in. I kept training in the event that sports would come back," Whalen said.
This was her third season of college sports, third season of not being able to fully compete in it, but the first time that it was not due to an injury. She needed to reflect on her place in college sports.
Whalen ended up deciding to come back the following year. Of course, at one of the very beginning practices of preseason Whalen tore her shoulder.
"I kept playing on it because I was in disbelief that I was injured once again."
After getting a couple different opinions from medical professionals she decided to take some time off to strengthen her shoulder and come back later without a surgery. Four weeks into that year's season, she was back at her first practice. Coach Rogers deemed Whalen was ready for competition two days after she had started practicing. At that point in time the Cal Poly beach volleyball team was ranked sixth in the nation.
While she was able to compete, she was still not the player she once was.
"First, honestly playing that season was mind blowing. Second, it was so hard to change the way I play and the way I think about playing. It was a massive change in how I cooperate with my ego as well."
After that season some external COVID related circumstances pushed Whalen to have surgery on her shoulder.
"This was a different feeling because I chose the injury. I chose to rehab."
While Whalen expressed that she had a choice, it seemed slim because she was struggling to accomplish daily life activities without pain. "I couldn't bring my own groceries inside without my shoulder hurting. I would also wake up in the middle of the night in extreme pain. It's weird to think that that was my reality for a while and that I was considering living like that again so I could compete."
The recovery time from her shoulder surgery was longer than her past injuries. Whalen was out from participating with the beach volleyball team from September to April.
However, Coach Rogers still admired her as a part of his program. "She has showed a lot of commitment to stay involved. She has a lot of commitment to me and I have respect for that since she literally cannot play. Everyone should be able to look at her and count their blessings."
Without a doubt, Whalen is back in action this season. She participated in the very first competition that her surgeon deemed was safe. Coach Rogers started her in an exhibition match against Santa Clara to test the waters before putting her in a match that counted for Cal Poly. Whalen annihilated her opponents with partner Kalee Graff, 21-5, 21-10.
This was enough for Rogers to move her up to compete. The next day, the duo of Whalen and Graff defeated Saint Mary's, 21-18, 21-13.
Like any other player on the team, she hopes to secure her spot in the starting lineup for the rest of season. "I don't know what the future holds, but I am giving my best and if that puts me in the starting lineup then so be it."
While her college athletics journey has been a roller coaster, Whalen has embraced every emotion of it. "I believe things happen for you not to you. The moments of your life that suck the most are the ones that make the best moments of your life that much better."
The Cal Poly beach volleyball team is ranked 13th in the nation and will be hosting the Center of Effort Challenge April 15th and 16th at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. There, they will be playing No. 1 USC, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Florida State, and No. 6 LMU.
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Mariah Whalen was a Max Preps All American in high school. She was recruited to the top-ranked team in the nation at the time, University of Wisconsin, for indoor volleyball. There, she was awarded Gatorade player of the year. When she switched to playing Division I beach volleyball, she was awarded several highly acclaimed accomplishments from the conference and AVCA. Even with this list of athletic accomplishments, Whalen has never been able to complete a full season of intercollegiate sports.
Whalen is a redshirt senior from Wausau, Wis. who had dreams of playing for a nationally high ranked indoor team. Luckily, her athletic abilities let that dream be attainable, but she was not expecting to be wanted by the best team in the nation.
Whalen was thriving her freshman season at Wisconsin because she secured a starting position. However, at a practice during that fall season she tore her meniscus.
"I was really bummed given that I had been doing well and had a great start to my freshman year," Whalen stated. "It was a weird feeling because I never had any major injuries before that."
The injury motivated her to come back stronger because she felt inspired watching her teammates grind each and every day without her. After recovering from that surgery, she went to an open gym during the offseason of that same school year. Unfortunately, Whalen retore her meniscus again on the same exact leg.
"It was extremely frustrating to see my teammates having success while knowing I had to rehab again and that it was going to put me behind. But the team culture was so good that I wanted to work my butt off to come back"
Whalen was rehabbed and ready to go by the time sophomore season was rolling around. However, she could feel that something was just not right with her knee and went to get it checked out. This is when she learned that she will needing a third surgery in a span of two years.
"There was a lot of ambiguity with this injury because nothing significant showed up on the MRI so I was starting to question college sports. It was confusing to be working hard for something that was taken away easily by something out of my control."
After recovering from this surgery, Whalen as well as her doctor and coaches came to the conclusion that indoor volleyball was no longer a sport she could play in college. Luckily, beach volleyball is a NCAA sport that encompasses similar skills as indoor volleyball and is a lot easier on the body from an injury standpoint.Head coach Todd Rogers seized the opportunity when he saw Whalen's name on the transfer portal. "I knew she was a really good athlete. She was very physical, but pretty raw for beach. But I knew she was going to be in my lineup somewhere and I just had to figure out where she was going be."
Transferring to a new school and playing a new sport was exactly what Whalen needed.
"It was a breath of fresh air. I was not thinking about past or future injuries."
Unfortunately, she only got to play a few times during her first season at Cal Poly because of the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down all NCAA sports. "You show up to practice one day and it's just over. It was not really setting in. I kept training in the event that sports would come back," Whalen said.
This was her third season of college sports, third season of not being able to fully compete in it, but the first time that it was not due to an injury. She needed to reflect on her place in college sports.
Whalen ended up deciding to come back the following year. Of course, at one of the very beginning practices of preseason Whalen tore her shoulder.
"I kept playing on it because I was in disbelief that I was injured once again."
After getting a couple different opinions from medical professionals she decided to take some time off to strengthen her shoulder and come back later without a surgery. Four weeks into that year's season, she was back at her first practice. Coach Rogers deemed Whalen was ready for competition two days after she had started practicing. At that point in time the Cal Poly beach volleyball team was ranked sixth in the nation.
While she was able to compete, she was still not the player she once was.
"First, honestly playing that season was mind blowing. Second, it was so hard to change the way I play and the way I think about playing. It was a massive change in how I cooperate with my ego as well."
After that season some external COVID related circumstances pushed Whalen to have surgery on her shoulder.
"This was a different feeling because I chose the injury. I chose to rehab."
While Whalen expressed that she had a choice, it seemed slim because she was struggling to accomplish daily life activities without pain. "I couldn't bring my own groceries inside without my shoulder hurting. I would also wake up in the middle of the night in extreme pain. It's weird to think that that was my reality for a while and that I was considering living like that again so I could compete."
The recovery time from her shoulder surgery was longer than her past injuries. Whalen was out from participating with the beach volleyball team from September to April.
However, Coach Rogers still admired her as a part of his program. "She has showed a lot of commitment to stay involved. She has a lot of commitment to me and I have respect for that since she literally cannot play. Everyone should be able to look at her and count their blessings."
Without a doubt, Whalen is back in action this season. She participated in the very first competition that her surgeon deemed was safe. Coach Rogers started her in an exhibition match against Santa Clara to test the waters before putting her in a match that counted for Cal Poly. Whalen annihilated her opponents with partner Kalee Graff, 21-5, 21-10.
This was enough for Rogers to move her up to compete. The next day, the duo of Whalen and Graff defeated Saint Mary's, 21-18, 21-13.
Like any other player on the team, she hopes to secure her spot in the starting lineup for the rest of season. "I don't know what the future holds, but I am giving my best and if that puts me in the starting lineup then so be it."
While her college athletics journey has been a roller coaster, Whalen has embraced every emotion of it. "I believe things happen for you not to you. The moments of your life that suck the most are the ones that make the best moments of your life that much better."
The Cal Poly beach volleyball team is ranked 13th in the nation and will be hosting the Center of Effort Challenge April 15th and 16th at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex. There, they will be playing No. 1 USC, No. 3 UCLA, No. 4 Florida State, and No. 6 LMU.
Players Mentioned
/ Beach Volleyball
/ Beach Volleyball
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