Balancing Act: Juggling Interior Architecture Studies and Athletic Success

A tandem duo of academic standards and athletic pressures mounts for Razorback volleyball player.

The Sports Reporter Collective

Sunday, March 23, 2025

By Lo Jones | Aspiring Journalist

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas sophomore student-athlete Lily Dudley is put to the ultimate test of time management and endurance by her rigorous daily schedule. As a dedicated Razorback volleyball player and interior architecture-design major, Dudley deftly navigates a packed itinerary. 

“Balancing interior architecture and volleyball is something I need to always focus on,” Dudley said. “As I get older and my classes get harder, it becomes more crucial that I lean into my good time management skills, since I have to balance such long hours in the studio and in practice.”

Dudley’s highest-level commitment to athletics furthers difficulties with time management.  Practices, tournament trips, and both home and away matchups occupy several hours of every day, affording little room to the advanced coursework and heavy homework load of her major. Dudley works with her coach and academic advisors to ensure her class times do not conflict with daily practice times. 

Summers, however, turn out to be an entirely different beast. In staying on track with her degree and graduation plan, Dudley resides on campus for the entirety of summer terms, enrolled and completing required studio hours. This prevents her from going home to visit family and directly conflicts with traditional practice hours, starting in July.  

“I’ve found that a lot of times it can be irritating and really overwhelming to balance both my schoolwork and volleyball.” Dudley said. “Over time, I’ve had to pick and choose at what point I need to prioritize one or the other. I often just have to openly talk to my coaches and professors to work on it.”

Her resilience and determination to succeed in both fields makes Dudley an inspiring figure and role model for her teammates. “She’s always got something on her plate,” says Lakin Laurendine, Razorback volleyball teammate. “I’m amazed that she’s managed to stay on top of everything at such a high level…. It’s really motivating to see how she prioritizes and organizes things to make sure she’s able to give a hundred percent of herself to every task.”

Though the road ahead will continue to prove demanding, Dudley is dead set on making it through. Her passions push her to overcome the exhaustion and moments of doubt. 

“I’m very passionate about both volleyball and interior architecture,” she said. “It’s important that I make both paths work and am able to perform to the best of my ability in both areas.”

As Dudley works tirelessly to complete her required studio hours this summer and, all the while, prepare to lead her team to another NCAA Divison 1 Tournament appearance, it’s undeniable that her story will be one of perseverance, hard work, and the steadfast belief that she will succeed—against all odds. 

Through sheer will and dedication, Dudley proves that with a little flexibility and a lot of ambition, it is possible to win in both sport and the classroom. 

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REPORTER’S BIO | Lo Jones is a junior majoring in multimedia storytelling in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.

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Lo Jones

Note: Feature photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash