It’s been a just over eight months since I first arrived at Tech, and almost 6 since my last blog entry! Time has flown. Once season started everything was crazy, practicing, classes, travelling, playing, sleeping, eating, homework, gym, workouts, everything was busy busy busy! The life of a college athlete. For a few months it was just go go go till it was all finished. It was challenging but so rewarding to have completed my first season as a college volleyball player. It’s so crazy to think how fast my first year has gone, and it scares me even more to think how fast the next three will go. During season we played 14 Conference USA games, the level of Women’s volleyball in America is at a whole different level to what I expected. Every week during volleyball season we are allowed 20 hours a week to have practice, weights, meeting etc.… it may sound like a lot of time, but when you calculate everything out, its crazy how fast the time runs out. Weekly schedules are sent out every week and we, as student athletes have to maintain our academics while keeping up with our athletic responsibilities. Throughout the season we travelled to many places including Vest Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Oklahoma. It was an amazing experience to be able to play volleyball while travelling America! Going to school, while doing everything else on the side is hard but it is very rewarding at the end of the day. While managing my academics as well as my athletic responsibilities I was lucky enough to maintain a good GPA and make it onto the Deans list. (Which is like an award for maintaining a good mark for all my classes combined.) It was a great feeling to know that the work id put in throughout the season for my classes had also payed off. Since season finished I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Cancun Mexico, and also down to New Orleans to experience some Mardi Gras fun. A lot of my experience in America has been very rewarding so far because I have been able to see a lot of things I didn’t think I would until my later years of college. Since I got back from break over Christmas, the team have been in ‘spring’ season. We have been working hard 5/6 days of the week with practices, conditioning and weights to build ourselves to become a better, bigger and stronger team than last fall (our playing season). During this quarter we are allowed 20 hours a week again of practices and everything else related to volleyball!

The past weekend we played in a tournament in a little town 4 hours away called Lafayette. For our team it was a really good opportunity for us to see if our hard work was paying off. We managed to come out with some pretty great results and we were all very happy with how we played.

So far it’s been an amazing experience playing the game I love, experiencing a different culture and trying different things! I’m hoping that for the rest of spring season my team keeps on improving and getting better! I can’t believe its less than 2 months and I’m home again and my first year is done! Its impossible to tell you all the little things I’ve done over the past 8 months but what I can say is its been an amazing experience and I highly recommend giving it a shot if your thinking about it!

After being here a month and a half, its safe to say I’m over the jet lag.
A long trip, but I’m happy to be finally here!

An hour flight to Sydney, a 14 hour flight to LA, two weeks spent roaming the streets of Beverly Hills and Hollywood, a two day stop over at Disneyland, then another quick drive (8 hours) to San Francisco for a couple days spent eating yummy seafood with my family and shopping. A quick 4-hour flight to Houston then another one-hour flight to Monroe and we had finally made it to Ruston, Louisiana (37 degrees, and 1 billion % humidity)! The home of the Techsters.

After a nice welcoming from my teammates and coaches, I headed straight for my apartment with my roommate, Angie from North Carolina, (teammate too) to unpack and get myself set up.  A two-bedroom apartment on campus with a kitchen, lounge room, and bathroom right near the pool, sport complexes, and 8000 seat stadium where I train and play is a nice place to live for my freshman year of college.

Once I was all set up and said my final goodbyes to my mum and brother, we headed straight into preseason training. Two practices a day, 2.5 hours in the morning and same at night, with gym workouts at least 3 times a week is the life of a student athlete at college.

Every practice has the same, if not more intensity as the one before.  Its hard work but I’m loving it. It’s so rewarding when you can see the hard work paying off.

The first two weeks were the hardest/ sorest two weeks yet. Physically, I am/ was trying to get stronger and more powerful while training for hours and hours a week. My body was hating me. By the time the first few tournaments came around we were all strong enough to fight well against very strong teams, and come out with more wins than loses. 

Classes started last week, and I only have 3 classes… so strange compared to Australia. Over here they do general classes  (like high school) till your Junior Year (third year) that’s when you start your classes for your major. You only then have two years to fit your major into that. Even though I have three classes I feel like I’m on the run from class to practice everyday. Being a student athlete has its challenges but it also has its amazing experiences too. 
In a month and a half, I’ve been to Texas twice, down to Hammond (near New Orleans), been to two soccer games, a FOOTBALL game!! (Like rugby- photo below), did some tail gating – which means before the football game, everyone in the entire community comes out to make food and share it with all the Tech supporters.  And its free food !!

I went to a pep rally the other day where cheerleaders jumped up and down and dancers were going crazy, went to Walmart (which is like a Target, Coles, Kmart, Pharmacy, Garden shop, Office Works, Bike Shop, Bunning’s etc. put together into one place) and of course met some amazing people along the way. My teammates are now like family to me, and everyday is amazing! I have already experienced so much and I am loving it!! 

We had a tournament on the weekend, we learnt a lot about each other. After being with your teammates for a month and a half you make bonds with everyone and its great to see everyone becoming so close as teammates, and friends. 

I had a rough weekend, going down in our second game, sprained my ankle but will be back up this week. Fingers Crossed!! We are very lucky here, we have amazing staff, coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, mentors… that look after us 24/7 to make sure we are always being taken care of for things just like our injuries.

Heading into this week we have three matches spread through out the week which is always fun!! Our final preparations have begun for Conference USA starting in two weeks time and I’m very excited to start!

Just a quick thanks while I can to Luke Campbell, GMVA, Matt from Strive 4 College, Maureen Spencer-Gardner, Jenny Becker, James Santa Maria, Heidelberg Volleyball Club, Maribyrnong College, Bill McHoul, Dave Berry, all my team mates, and my mum, dad, brother and the rest of my family for all there help to get me where I am today!

That’s about all from me today, I’ll keep you guys posted throughout the season!

If you want to know anything else about Tech or how we are going etc.… here’s the link:

http://www.latechsports.com/sports/w-volley/latc-w-volley-body.html

Talk soon from the U.S!!

GO LA TECH!!