Emerson College Feature Athlete: Lauren Zaniboni

Over her past two years at Emerson College, dual sport athlete Lauren Zaniboni has earned a variety of awards and honors for her achievements both on and off the volleyball and basketball court. 
In both sports, each focused on some type of net, Zaniboni is versatile and taller than most opponents. Standing at 6'2" the junior from San Diego, California transferred from Division I North Carolina State University to Emerson as a sophomore. She immediately began making a name for herself, winning a number of "Rookie of the Week" titles in both her volleyball season and then in her basketball season as well. 


Focusing on her basketball career at Emerson, Zaniboni was recently named to the ESPN: The Magazine Academic All-District team for both her athletic and academic success. The award listed Zaniboni as a selection to the third team in District I, an area that includes New England, New York and parts of Canada.


So what exactly makes Lauren Zaniboni worthy of this award?

Zaniboni, a Dean’s List student, is the Lions’ second leading scorer and top rebounder. In 2009-2010 she scored in double figures in both points and rebounds nine times in the team’s 20 games. Zaniboni was ranked 4th in the league for scoring, with 374 points, averaging 14.4 points per game. The 6'2'' center also is 5th in rebounds (9.8), 2nd in field goal percentage (.506), 3rd in blocked shots (1.9), 14th in offensive rebounds (2.8), and 2nd in defensive rebounds (7.1).


Kristen Parnell, Emerson Director of athletics, was not surprised to learn that Zaniboni had been honored.


"Lauren is a model Division III player at balancing both academics and sports," said Parnell. "It's accolades like this that improve not only the team but also up the talent level through all sports."


Women's Basketball Head Coach William Gould explains that athletes like Zaniboni help shape the reputation of Emerson College's sports programs.

"I think Emerson has always been known for their academic prowess," Coach said. "But with Lauren winning awards like this we are now proving ourselves as a pretty damn good school when it comes to athletics as well."


And this wasn't even Zaniboni's first national recognition. Last fall she was honored with the same award for her contribution to the Emerson volleyball team, as she led the team to win the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship.


Last year Zaniboni was also named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2008-2009, and was a first team all-conference selection. By earning the Academic All-District selection in volleyball in the fall of 2009, Zaniboni became the first Emerson College student-athlete to receive the honor in multiple sports.


But Zaniboni doesn't harp on the awards she receives, which makes her that much more deserving. She says her main focus is just to enjoy every second she has the opportunity to play college sports.
She said, "Not everyone gets the chance to play college sports and be a part of a team. I just love being part of a team and seeing our collective hard work pay off. There's nothing better." 


Being from sunny California, life on the East coast is a bit different, but Zaniboni says she doesn't mind. 


"I knew what I was getting myself into when I came to Boston. I don't mind the cold at all."


But there is one thing she misses about California. She explained, "I miss the frozen yogurt from Yogurtland. Strawberry 'fro-yo' is my favorite. I could go for some right now."

Next year will be Zaniboni's last year playing college sports, and although she appreciates being recognized for her hard work, she plays for the team comradery and her love for the games.