"Wow! This is actually happening."
 
Those were the thoughts swirling around West Virginia University senior Mia Swanegan's head when she found out she was going to play professional volleyball in late April. Swanegan's thoughts were like thousands of young, prospective athletes who wish to get a phone call from a professional team. However, Swanegan's journey to play professional volleyball is not as prototypical as it may seem.
 
Her road began in her hometown of Blue Springs, Missouri, and then onto TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. She transferred to West Virginia after her freshman season at TCU, becoming a three-year starter for the Mountaineer volleyball program. Now, her journey is taking her on a new adventure to Finland, where she is looking forward to making new strides as a professional athlete. 
 
"I am so excited," Swanegan said. "It will be cool to experience something else."
 
Being roughly 4,000 miles away from Morgantown is a new experience for Swanegan, but while the unknown of what will come next would make some nervous, Swanegan is channeling her anxiousness into excitement. This unknown expedition will offer Swanegan new challenges and experiences, but she knows that to accomplish big things at the next level, she must remember all the small things she has learned.
 
"I have learned so much from (WVU head coach) Reed Sunahara and the rest of the coaching staff, and that has been a big part of my success, especially during my senior year," Swanegan said. "I can't forget those little techniques. The small things are the big things. It is what will help to contribute to the bigger picture. I have to keep in mind everything that I've learned and use it over there."
 
A middle blocker at WVU, Swanegan made significant strides every year for the Mountaineers. Offensively, Swanegan finished her career with 330 sets played in 92 matches, compiling 686 kills on 1,636 attacks for a .223 hitting percentage. However, Swanegan made an even greater impact defensively. She finished with 370 total blocks in her career, including 36 solo blocks, to average 1.12 blocks per set. In her senior year, Swanegan's 150 total blocks and 1.23 blocks per set helped her rank second and third, respectively, in the Big 12 Conference.
 
Sunahara has seen her progress first hand, and he believes she will not have any trouble making the leap from WVU to Finland.
 
"She has improved every year that she was here," Sunahara said. "She's worked her butt off to get to where she is today. She definitely was our most valuable player last year, because without her, we would not have had the success that we did."
 
In a record-setting year for WVU in 2017, Swanegan led the Mountaineers to 21 wins, reaching the National Invitational Volleyball Championship for the first time since 1991. After a solid postseason run, the All-Big 12 Second Team honoree was named to the 2017 NIVC All-Tournament Team. She also helped the Mountaineers claim their first-ever win over a top-25 program, taking down No. 14 Kansas in their regular-season finale on Nov. 25.
 
Now, she's about to put WVU behind her and embark on a new adventure, although, her time at WVU will not be forgotten.
 
"Being in Morgantown for the past three years has been amazing," Swanegan said. "Every little thing from workouts, to practicing, to playing, to off-the-court activities with teammates has been great. I'm going to miss all of it, but I'm excited for what's next."
 
The Academic All-Big 12 Second Team selection graduated from WVU two weeks ago with a degree in strategic communications. She might be off to Finland, but she will always remember the journey. She will remember the road she took to accomplish her dreams, and most of all, she will always be a Mountaineer.