SMC Volleyball Brings Human Trafficking Into the Light

Aeriel Sundt ’22 pauses mid-sentence, catching herself as she considers the weight of the topic at hand.

Human trafficking can often strike an emotional nerve for anyone who takes the time to consider it, a reality that Sundt and her Saint Mary’s volleyball and beach volleyball teammates have experienced over the past two years as they have worked to raise awareness about the issue.

“These are humans, too,” Sundt said. “And they’re just like us.”

What started as an idea brought forward by head coach Rob Browning in a team meeting way back in January of 2020 has grown into a teamwide passion for creating positive change.

The idea of helping others isn’t new; that has long been part of what it means to be a Gael. A commitment to serving others stands both as the Lasallian hallmark of a Saint Mary’s education and a contributing factor when a young athlete decides to continue her athletic career as a member of the SMC volleyball team.

Browning didn’t need much of a sales pitch when raising the issue with his team. Having begun to do his own research into the issue several years ago, the Gaels’ longtime coach and his wife, Michelle, were already active in trying to fight the problem in any small way they could.

In presenting the topic to the team, Browning shared a video, along with a few pieces of writing on the subject.

The reaction was unanimous.

“I didn’t realize how big an issue it is,” said fifth-year senior Jennifer Laird. “It’s not something that is talked about, not something that is prevalent in our minds, honestly. It was shocking. It was something where you went, wow, if we can even make the slightest change or slightest difference, that’s something we want to do. Everyone jumped on board right away.”

The players decided to form an on-campus club, which they eventually named liGHT: Gaels Against Human Trafficking. Creating the club itself was no easy feat because, with their unique schedules as student-athletes, time for other activities often had to take a back seat.

Then, after all their work to get started, COVID-19 put liGHT on an indefinite hold.

Although they couldn’t host events and do the sort of outreach they initially envisioned, the Gaels continued to educate themselves on just how wide-ranging and pervasive human trafficking is across the world.

That education didn’t just mean reading about the issue. The team held a series of virtual meetings with victims of human trafficking and learned more about the circumstances and impacts of the issue.

“What was really big was [the issue] really focuses on younger ages,” said sophomore Makenna Joyce. “Ages from about 12 to 24. All of us are in that range here on the team. It was really crazy to think about the people we possibly could have known or people we could have come across, and seen the signs for if someone has been sex trafficked. We probably have come across someone who has been sex trafficked.”

When it comes to the issue at hand, the statistics jump off the screen. The U.S. State Department estimates that at any given time there are nearly 25 million victims of human trafficking worldwide.

As the team dug further into its research, it learned that no community is out of reach, no area too sheltered to be exempt from being affected.

“I think sometimes it really takes being reminded, wow, look at this crisis going on right now. Anybody who finds out about human trafficking goes, oh my gosh, my heart is breaking,” Sundt said. “The injustice is insane, and it’s so extreme. However, it might be mentioned once at a fundraiser, and then what? It’s not something you really want to haunt yourself with, but sometimes it can be haunting.”

Eventually, COVID restrictions lifted to the point where liGHT could host its first event. The group partnered with Sudara, an organization that creates jobs and provides skills training for women at risk of trafficking in India, to host a dinner event inside UCU Pavilion.

With the help of SMC Athletics Director Mike Matoso and Sodexo, the group welcomed over 200 people, mostly athletes, to learn about human trafficking.

“When we did that student-athlete event, there were times where I was really emotional about it, looking at our student-athletes being fully engaged and totally on board,” Browning said. “They’ve told me things on their own that they’ve learned, researched, looked into—different conversations they’ve had with people. They’ve made it a personal thing for themselves and their families.”

As student-athletes, the Gaels know that their efforts might earn a bit more notice than a different student organization thanks to robust social media accounts and a community of sports fans that pay close attention to what’s going on with their program.

“I think it makes the responsibility that much greater,” Laird said. “If you have a voice that people are listening to, and as student-athletes we are blessed to have that voice, you should be talking about things that are hard and difficult. You should be talking about things that could make a difference because we can reach a wider audience than most people. Awareness is the biggest part of this issue.”

As it turned out, people were indeed paying attention. In June of 2021, liGHT was recognized for its work by the West Coast Conference, earning the #WCCRepresent award for initiatives that promote the positive values of sportsmanship and community service.

Now, the group’s focus has turned to what’s next. In late January, liGHT hosted an on-campus beach volleyball tournament that raised funds for its local nonprofit partner, Love Never Fails.

The event helped widen liGHT’s reach on campus, as students signed up to play alongside members of the SMC beach volleyball team. Faculty and staff stopped by to watch, Sodexo provided free tacos and, at least for one day, life resembled something a bit more normal in the middle of campus.

Browning also sent an email to his fellow WCC coaches to spread the word and offer resources if other programs wanted to get involved, and the team has done a handful of bake sales to raise money. They also joined in a Fair Trade Friday event hosted by the Mission & Ministry Center.

This sort of increased awareness is a short-term goal that everyone involved with liGHT hopes to turn into long-term commitment.

“What we absolutely want more than anything is that this is not just about our little club. We want it to grow into other teams on campus doing stuff,” Browning said. “We would like our local high schools to start their own club and spread awareness and get involved. We would love for other teams in the conference to help it spread.”

Building that sort of network will take time, but the Gaels are committed to keeping the issue front and center.

While that infrastructure grows, both on campus and beyond, liGHT continues to do whatever it can to spread the word.

“What really stood out to me was realizing that it is literally in our backyard,” Sundt said. “We knew that, but when you read about it and it’s in your face, you’re like, oh my gosh, why am I not doing something about this? And even beyond that, [it is] in foreign countries like India. I’m human; these are humans too. They have the same rights as me; they’ve done nothing wrong.

“How could I not care about that?”