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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.
guaranteed. I’m now more motivated and focused than ever to pursue my volleyball goals.
When I was finally allowed to play ball again in late April of last
The camaraderie before and after matches is what it is all about, including receiving silver medals at the 2013 FIVB Women’s U18 World Championship. (Photo: FIVB)
I gained while watching. We beat Brazil in the semifinal match in five intense sets, which was a huge victory considering Brazil had been training for six months. We then lost a heartbreaker in the finals to the Chinese team, a few of whose players were close to 7-feet tall. It took awhile for it to sink in that we’d actually won the silver medal and placed second in the world! This was a groundbreaking achievement. It marked USA Volleyball’s first-ever age group World Championship medal in either gender. The summer before my freshman year at Northwestern, I was named
to the 2014 U.S. Women’s Junior National Training Team, but did not make the final roster. I went from being starting setter and captain of the 2012 YNT to captain and sitting the bench on the 2013 YNT to not even making the final roster of the 2014 JNT. Rather than get discour- aged, I immediately started working toward earning a spot on the 2015 team. The 2014 JNT won the gold at the NORCECA championships that summer, so I knew the 2015 team would be heading to the World Championship. During the next year, I kept USAV in the forefront of my mind, constantly working to improve my volleyball IQ, physicality, tempo and leadership skills. After playing next to the Women’s National Team in Anaheim and getting a taste of international world-class volleyball, I was going to do everything possible to continue on in the HP pipeline.
Bouncing back from surgery I gave it my all in Colorado Springs last February and tried not to focus on whether this might be the last time I would be able to compete at this level. Four days after returning from tryouts, I had a 5.5-hour op- eration, which went without any complications. Two talented surgeons carefully removed the tumor in pieces, half of it through an incision around the inside of my right eye, and the other half through my nose. I recovered at home for about six weeks and was grateful for all the visitors and support I received. My Northwestern teammates and coaches were amazing.
The tumor turned out to be benign, and the double vision I experi- enced for several weeks after the surgery went away and hasn’t returned. I’m truly thankful for the doctors who treated me, as there’s no way I’m ready to give up volleyball! The prospect of having it almost taken away made me realize that, while we can plan for the future, nothing is
year, I spent hours in the gym and the weight room trying to raise my game back to where it had been before the surgery. I updated USAV on my progress, and a couple of weeks later was thrilled to find out that I was one of 12 people receiving an invitation to be on the 2015 JNT. It was an indescribable feeling to know that my drive to recover and get back into fighting shape had paid off. Although our JNT wasn’t able to compete in the 2015 World Championship this summer as originally planned (the tournament dates were pushed back to later in the fall, when our entire team was competing in college), we had the opportunity to represent our country while traveling and playing in Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. Under the expert coaching of Tom Hogan and his staff, our summer experience culminated in winning a gold medal in the Euro- pean Global Challenge tournament in Pula, Croatia! In hindsight, my decision to postpone surgery a week to be able to participate in the JNT tryouts was obviously the right one. I can’t imagine not having been a part of this amazing team. While the primary goal of USA Volleyball’s High Performance pipeline is to scout out and develop players for the national team, the program offers so much more. USAV has welcomed me into a tight-knit community of athletes who all share the same passion for the sport and understand the value of hard work and commitment. I’ve had the chance to travel to five different countries to play the game I love, to have my skills honed by some of the top U.S. coaches and to meet unbelievably
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It’s nice to have superb teammates like Audriana Fitzmorris, right, to help you seal the block. (Photo: FIVB)
talented, lifelong friends whom I otherwise would have merely seen as college competitors through the net. I’m currently in training to earn a spot on one of the U.S. Collegiate National Teams. If I could share one message with younger players, it would be this:
Never lose faith if you don’t make a team or camp that you’re trying out for. The many lessons I’ve learned and the mental toughness I’ve gained through my involvement in USAV have made it clear that no matter how serious the setback on or off the court, hard work and a positive mindset to persevere can carry you through just about anything and keep you on track to reach your goals.
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