Senior middle blocker Chandra Roberson is on track to break the SIU record for most career blocks with an average of 1.3 blocks per game.’ Roberson, needing only 35 more blocks to surpass the record of 333 blocks, is hoping to increase the team’s 17-12 (7-11 MVC) record and qualify for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament this season.

The Daily Egyptian sat down with Roberson to talk about her record, her steely nerves for the upcoming season and the crazy antics she and her teammates do to keep laughing.

Daily Egyptian: You are about to break the SIU blocks record, what does that mean to you?

Chandra Roberson: It’s important to me. I think it’s really cool because blocking has alwaysbeen something I’ve been pretty good at, and it was kind of a surprise to me last spring when the coach came to me and said, ‘You’re only 35 blocks away from the record.’ It’s really exciting and I can’t wait until I get it.

DE: Would you rather break the record, or win the lottery?

CR: What’s the amount? [Laughs]

DE: Let’s just say it’s $1 million.

CR: Um, I’d probably say lottery.

DE: What?

CR: No, no, just kidding, just kidding. I think it’s an amazing (record) to have. To work as hard as you do to achieve something and then you finally get the recognition of being the best, that’s better than winning the lottery.

DE: I know you are excited for the upcoming season, but are you nervous as well?

CR: I think the nerves come from the excitement. It’s natural to be nervous and I think it’s a good thing. So yes, I’m a little nervous, but I’m more pumped and excited to get our season started and get out there and start beating people.

DE: Have you and the team taken your trip to Florida yet?

CR: No, not yet. That’s actually my birthday. We go Sept. 4 through the 6, and my birthday is the 5th.’ I’ll be 21.

DE: Twenty-one. Will you get loaded?

CR: No.’ We’re in training. [laughing] Maybe the next weekend when we are off.

DE: How do you find time for a social life with a schedule full of training, competing and school?

CR: Well, we don’t usually go out a lot during the season, it’s not a priority. When we do, we go out in our off-season-the springtime, the summer-but it’s not something we’re thinking about a lot.

DE: What do you do with any little bit of free time you get during the season?

CR: It’s weird, but we tend to spend it with each other. We watch a lot of movies. We’ve actually been watching movies every day during preseason right now and it’s great, we’ve got that team chemistry.

DE: Your coach said you were actually excited to be one of our 15 Minutes. Why is that?

CR: Well every time I read it, they’re funny, and I think our team is a funny bunch of people. If you spend a day with us, you will be laughing non-stop. We’re goofy, we’re a little weird, funny; just a good time.

DE: What kind of funny things do you do?

CR: We have little dance parties, act goofy and we’ve got these little voices that we do. Don’t ask me to do one because I’m not that good at it. We also watch a lot of YouTube clips and imitate them. We do movie trivia all the time.

DE: So when you are in those huddles and we think you are strategizing or encouraging each other, you are actually making weird little voices and planning your next dance party?

CR: We could be [laughing]. Whatever it takes to get us back in the game.

DE: Could you ladies ever get through a game without those huddles?

CR: No way. It brings us up, it gives us our energy and without it we’d be quiet on the court and it would be really dull. With volleyball, you need all the energy and all the intensity you can have. Anything we can do to bring us up and get us energized is what we need. That’s probably why we do our little voices and talk about movies … we talk about movies all the time.

DE: What is the last really good movie you saw?

CR: ‘The Hangover.’ We quote that movie all of the time.

DE: Have you seen ‘District 9?’ It is a non-stop adrenaline rush.

CR: I’ve heard of it, but I haven’t seen it. We went as a team the other day and saw ‘The Perfect Getaway,’ it was horrible. I don’t recommend it to anybody.

DE: Well, you said you don’t really play video games or have any crazy routines you follow before games, what about your playlist; what’s on it?

CR: Anybody who knows me knows I’m a huge Lil Wayne fan, so most of the songs on my playlist are from Lil Wayne.’

DE: And after Lil Wayne, if you were limited to only a few artists, who would they be?

CR: Um, Keri Hilson, Trey Songz and Drake.

DE: The upcoming volleyball season promises to be exciting, but what about just being a senior and being so near the end here? Are you scared or nervous? What are your plans?

CR: I don’t know, I don’t like to think about it even though I know it’s coming up soon. I just want to enjoy the moment and really enjoy my last season and not think too much about what comes next, even though I know I have to.

DE: And what about those new recruits following in your footsteps, what advice would you give them?

CR: Just enjoy it. Work hard and have as much fun as you can.