F I R S T P E R S O N
and she was on her way out of the gym, but the fact that she took the time to connect with us made a lasting impression on me. It really speaks to her outstanding character and leadership, and it drove home how important it is to act as a mentor and role model to younger players.
Takin’ it on the road After completing our training in Anaheim, we took a 13-hour flight Fulfilling media duties with a smile with head coach Jim Stone. (Photo: FIVB)
on the A1 Team, I was thankful for the opportunity to wear USA on my back for the first time. When I arrived in Tucson, Arizona, and met with the team, the coaches surprised us and said that a player from each position would be pulled up to A1 after the first few training sessions. As it turned out, I was chosen to be setter, but not for the reasons you might think. I was pulled up because I was the loudest person on the court in every drill, gave high-fives and words of encouragement to girls I had never met before, and worked my butt off. Some of the other players were far more technically sound, but I proved to the coaches that making those around me better was a top priority of mine. If I had turned down the oppor- tunity to be on the A2 Team just because it wasn’t the top team, I never would have had the chance to prove myself.
Listing life goals At the next Holiday Camp, my setters’ court coach asked us to make a list of life goals. My short-term “reach” goal was to make the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team the following year. Looking back now, I realize that I accomplished something that I didn’t think was possible at the time, and that’s an amazing feeling. I passed the first and second tryouts that winter/spring and earned a spot on the 2012 Youth National Team. After just a few weeks of training in late summer, we traveled to Ti-
juana, Mexico, for the NORCECA Continental Championship and won first place! I was honored to be the team’s captain and starting setter, and I was named the tournament’s best setter. We were all so proud to win the gold; this guaranteed the U.S. a bid in the FIVB World Champion- ship to be held the following year in Thailand.
One court away from the best In the late winter/spring of 2013, I went through the same two-
tiered tryout process in an effort to once again earn a spot on the Youth National Team. However, this time I was up against five other extremely talented setters. Hearing my name called out for the final roster is still one of my most memorable volleyball moments because I have so much respect for all the other setters I was competing against. Before heading to Thailand for the World Championship in the summer of 2013, our YNT had the opportunity to practice for two weeks at the U.S. Women’s National Team’s training headquarters in Anaheim, California. We practiced one court over from the National Team, living every young volleyball player’s dream! I have so much respect for the hard work the National Team puts in day-in and day-out, especially after witnessing it firsthand. I still vividly remember how inspiring it was when Courtney Thompson, who was just recently named to the Pac 12 All-Century Team, walked over to a few of us and struck up a conversation. They had just finished a long practice
30 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, followed by a three-hour flight to Bangkok and finally a three-hour car ride to Nakhon Ratchasima. What we all experienced at the World Championship is hard to put into words. Some of my most lasting impressions include the team bonding, the cultural experience of being in a relatively rural region of Thailand, the opportunities we had to interact with and play against the best inter- national youth teams in the world, the outstanding coaching and, of course, the intense pride we felt in representing our country. Entering the tournament, we weren’t even ranked in the top 10. It’s a testament to head coach Jim Stone and his amazing staff how quickly we came together, as our players were from all over the country and only had two weeks to train together. I was named captain, but not the starting setter; that role fell to the talented Jordyn Poulter. Watching the majority of the tournament from the sidelines gave me a much better appreciation for the many ways a player can contribute to their team’s success, even when they’re not on the court. It was an important opportunity to observe the game dynamics and hone my leadership skills. I did my best to provide support, encourage- ment and constructive feedback to the starting lineup. The matches I got to play in are ones that I’ll never forget, but I’m also grateful for the skills
The gravity of tryout pressure can help you raise the level of your game. (Photo: Bill Kauffman)
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