Mary Good Lawrence earned All-Conference honors each of her four years on the women’s volleyball team at Penn State Behrend, including AMCC Newcomer of the Year in 1997. As the second player to reach the 1,000-kill plateau, finishing with 1,028, she set four school records and helped the Lions win the regular-season championship as a freshman.
Mary Good Lawrence earned All-Conference honors each of her four years on the women’s volleyball team at Behrend, including AMCC Newcomer of the Year in 1997. As the second player to reach the 1,000-kill plateau, finishing with 1,028, she set four school records and helped the Lions win the regular-season championship as a freshman.
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Good’s impression on Behrend Athletics resembled her maiden name. In 1997, the freshman led the Lions to a 19-16 record and 10-2 mark in the AMCC for the regular-season championship and earn the Newcomer of the Year honor.
Behrend continued to remain competitive in the AMCC thanks to Good’s tenacity on both sides of the ball. The hard work paid off, earning her All-Conference while her 545 digs set a new school record digs in a season.
During her junior and senior years, added captain to her resume and earned her second and third All-AMCC nod. In 2000, Good reset her school record for digs in a season with 583 and watched her team finished second in the AMCC Tournament.
She currently sits fourth all-time in digs with 1,666 and fifth in career kills with 1,028. Good also ranks sixth in attempts (3,086), eighth in games played (423) and ninth in kills per game (2.83).
In addition to volleyball, she played one year of varsity water polo and was team captain in 2001. Off the court, Good was honored with the Leadership and Sportsmanship Award along with the Herb Lauffer Scholarship and Leadership Award.
Good is now one of 30 NASA flight directors, Lawrence manages operations for all human spaceflight programs, including the International Space Station. She oversees flight controllers, research and engineering experts, and support personnel.
Lawrence began her career at NASA as a member of the flight-control team operating the ISS command and data-handling system. In 2012, she became the communications RF onboard networks utilization specialist, with responsibility for all operational, technical and personnel aspects of ISS command and flight controller operations.
Lawrence earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering at Penn State Behrend in 2001. She and her husband, Andrew, live in League City, Texas, with their two children.
The Distinguished Alumni Series is part of the AMCC's 25th anniversary where the conference will be recognizing former AMCC student-athletes who have excelled in their area of study. The Distinguished Alumni Series will run every Thursday throughout the academic year.