“I’m really hungry for knowledge
and eager for opportunities.”
— Lydia Knollmeyer
At the Senior Day game in fall 2023, Knollmeyer recorded career highs with .438 hitting percentage, eight kills, four digs and six blocks.
Lydia Knollmeyer BS’24 comes by her tenacity naturally. Growing up in a competitive household full of engineers (Knollmeyer’s mother, father and elder sister all share the same profession) primed her to excel not only academically, but also athletically as well.
“It’s just what my family does,” she said. “We’re all pretty competitive, and sports have always been something we enjoyed.”
So, as a Bartlesville, Oklahoma, high school student, Knollmeyer sought a university where she could pursue both passions — engineering and athletics — with her singular intensity.
“I decided going into my senior year of high school that I wanted to be a mechanical engineer,” she said. “Finding a program that combined engineering with competitive volleyball was challenging, so The University of Texas at Dallas was the perfect fit for me.”
At the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at UT Dallas, Knollmeyer achieved her goals, earning a mechanical engineering degree, followed by an internship and an eventual career as a product development engineer at Texas Instruments Inc. (TI). During that time, she also competed on two consecutive American Southwest Conference (ASC) – winning volleyball teams.
THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
“Lydia was a championship presence with our middle blocker position,” said Head Volleyball Coach Zach Villarreal. “She also excelled in the classroom, helping the team achieve the American Volleyball Coaches Association (ACVA) Team Academic Award for multiple years.”
THE CHAMPION’S MINDSET
The distance between the classroom and the volleyball court is shorter than you’d think. Knollmeyer cited the grueling demands of both academics and athletics as key ingredients in the team’s successful championship runs.
“It helps that our team is focused not only on what we do on the court but also off the court,” she said. “There’s a certain level of grit that comes with being part of the UT Dallas volleyball program, with extensive practices and getting to the gym at 5:30 in the morning to start our day.”
NAVIGATING CHALLENGES
Balancing sports and studying often presented certain challenges, especially when having to miss classes for volleyball tournaments.
“It was vital for me to study during our trips,” Knollmeyer said. “I would put my headphones in and read my books on the bus, making sure I managed my time effectively whenever I had the opportunity to focus on my studies.”
Throughout her undergraduate tenure, Knollmeyer constantly sought ways to excel both athletically and academically. In 2023, for example, she secured a TI internship, setting the trajectory for her postgraduate career.
She wasn’t striving alone. Amid the challenges of a hectic school schedule, teamwork was essential to Knollmeyer’s undergraduate success and is a skill she expects will transfer to her engineering career.
“Some days, you’re not 100 percent and that’s OK — you have to be able to communicate that,” she said. “Or when you are 100 percent, being able to pick up the slack for someone else.
“The teamwork element of playing sports — especially at the collegiate level — is instrumental in being a good team player.”
BEYOND THE COURT
For current student-athletes, Knollmeyer emphasized the importance of finding passions beyond sports.
“When considering schools and volleyball or other athletic programs, it’s crucial to remember your athletic career will eventually end,” she said. “You need to focus on your education and seek out career opportunities or other passions outside of the sport.”
BUILDING A BRIGHT FUTURE IN ENGINEERING
Although her undergraduate days are behind her, Knollmeyer, tenacious as ever, remains focused on learning in her full-time role as a TI engineer.
“I’m really hungry for knowledge and eager for opportunities,” she stated.
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