Kansas University junior Sarah Rome is the “nerd” among her volleyball teammates.

But Rome doesn’t mind. The outside hitter from Eagan, Minn., has earned the moniker because of all the studying she does for her pre-medicine degree.

“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor,” Rome said. “I really love medicine, but it’s really, really hard. It’s extremely difficult. It kind of pushes you to the limits.”

Rome spends her time at KU balancing hours on the court and hours with textbooks a workload that hones her scheduling skills.

“That’s all it’s about, time management,” Rome said. “It’s hard sometimes when other people are doing their things and they want you to go but you can’t because you’re studying, but hopefully it will pay off.”

Senior teammate Jennifer Kraft, Rome’s roommate since August, said Rome is often at the library until 1 a.m.

“We always kind of make fun of her for being the nerd on the team,” Kraft said. “The smart one, because she’s always doing it. She’s always studying, but she’s so good at organizing her life that she makes the time to go out and see her friends and stuff.”

Rome’s studies have caused communication problems between the roommates, though.

“She’ll come home and tell me about some of the stuff she’s been studying,” Kraft said. “And I’m thinking, ‘Is that English?’ I don’t know how she does it, but she’s determined.”

Rome’s determination and attention to detail are evident to Kansas coach Ray Bechard.

“I think the thing she has going for her is that she’s very meticulous person,” he said. “I know volleyball is extremely important to her, but when it’s time to study for a calculus or organic chemistry test, you can tell that’s really significant to her.”

Rome, a first-team Academic All-Big 12 Conference selection last season, proved her intelligence to Bechard during recruiting.

“She’s very bright on the floor, too,” Bechard said. “We saw that she always seemed to be making the right play at the right time. She picks up the game plan well. I think a lot of that is her ability to process information, plus she has an extensive playing background.”

That experience and her ability to make the most of her skills have made Rome one of the Jayhawks’ best weapons.

“She’s not blessed with an abundance of athleticism, but I think she maximizes what she has,” Bechard said. “She’s very competitive and I’m sure that carries over to the classroom, too.”

Rome wants to attend medical school at the University of Minnesota, but she has another year of juggling time on the court and the classroom before she can really start comparing graduate schools.

“I haven’t looked too hard yet,” Rome said.