Hey guys happy first week of October! Which means the leaves will be a-changin', we say hello again to sweaters and boots, and while the temperature outside is getting chillier, our season is heating up. As of the end of this coming week, we will have completed "round 1" with each team in our conference, and let me tell ya, the SAC has saved some of the best teams for last. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself let's focus on the week that's passed. This previous week was different for us because we did not have a Tuesday game, so we had a whopping 4 days to prepare for Coker and Wingate, the lowest and highest ranked teams in our conference.

After we had Sunday (Sep. 28) completely off, coach eased us into our fun filled week on Monday. We had yoga as a team in the locker room. Normally we are in a nice activities room in the three gym area of the MSAC, but it was occupied so we moved into our own sanctuary. It gave us the opportunity to really focus and seclude ourselves from any outside distractions, but also gave us another opportunity to get even closer because of the close proximity between each other. I would look around and see butts in faces, hands on neighbor's feet for balance and fingers to feet while in warrior three. Nonetheless, it was a nice way to focus before practice.

In practice on Tuesday, we learned a new offensive strategy called a Bic. They are basically like a quick set to the back row players and it looks so cool! Many D1 schools incorporate these into their offenses because it gives the setter a fourth hitter option, it's harder to block, and it's challenging the defense to get their feet stopped in time to dig. Bics were practiced throughout the week so that we could use it as a secret weapon against Coker and Wingate because we haven't seen any other teams in our conference run it. After practice we went downstairs and followed the smell of chlorine where the swim team had their first intrasquad meet. We got to time their swims and cheer on a team that is always there in the front row of our games supporting us and distracting our opponents. It was so cool to see them in action and just to be around other athletes that are passionate about what they do. Some even broke school records! And we were reminded that our uniforms could indeed be smaller and tighter.  

I wish I could tell you how Wednesday's practice went, but I had a night class to attend. However when I walked into the gym during six-on-six, the girls looked like they were having a productive and competitive practice. Wow say that three times fast.  I figured practice was almost over because normally we scrimmage at the end and it had already been 2 hours when I walked in, immediately when my shoes hit the wood floor, coach started yelling at me across the gym! I wasn't expecting it at all. The only reason I knew he was yelling at me was because I saw his crazy eyes looking through my soul as I was trying to eat my pasta and pesto on the go. Next thing I know I am sprint walking to get changed for practice. I would have made it back upstairs within five minutes only my grey practice shirt was gone! Perfect. So up I went in the wrong shirt and coach was giving me heck for it and closed down practice. I was grumbling to myself because I didn't understand what had just happened to my life within the past 10 minutes, when coach told me that one of the coaching staff members had taken my grey practice shirt to play a little prank on me because they knew I would be late. It all made sense now and I laughed but I was still bitter being the last to know! Days like these we are reminded not to take life so seriously. When practice was over, we did our best to look presentable again and headed down to the soccer game to support our Lads.

 I really don't remember what happened in the Carson-Newman volleyball world on Thursday, October 2, but I'm sure it was a great day where we did great things, and met great people. Onto Friday!

We began Friday morning with a yoga session and this time we were in the activities room. If you have never been in the MSAC or even if you have, the rooms we practice yoga in are big open rooms that can be seen into from the three-gym area because they are blocked off by glass. As we walked into the three-gym and looked to our room, we noticed some baseball players following an instructional yoga video. When we walked in to ask if we could do our own practice on the second mat, they jumped up acting like they were in a casual meeting with friends and nothing happened, when really we saw the whole thing from outside the glass. But they had no reason to be embarrassed! So we rolled out the second mat and faced the mirrors as usual, and before I knew it, they had faced the same direction and joined in with our session that day. I have to say I was impressed with how they knew each pose we whipped out! It was a great eagle bonding experience. We all closed our yoga with a sports meditation video I found on YouTube so that we could start focusing on our game that night.

When we played Coker at home, most of our parents were in the gym with us. Even moms and dads from the West coast came out! Jenna's mom made these adorable pins for each of our moms to wear with our volleyball pictures on them. And they must have been good luck because we swept Coker that night. From then on we set our sights back on the No. 1 team in the conference, Wingate.

Saturday morning we woke up to go practice and work out any last minute kinks before the showdown. Once practice was over, we walked over the tailgate our parents had set up for the football game at 1:00. The spread was amazing. There was pasta salad, chicken salad, beagles with cream cheese, sugar cookies, monster cookies, and even cookie dip. But we followed coach's orders and didn't eat a lick of it besides fruits and vegetables. It was just a big tease!!! We walked away with happy stomachs and a clear conscious though. The first half of the football game was the only football we had seen our team play all year! It was fun to get into another fall festivity and show our school spirit and appreciation. We also continued to pass out coupons for our game that night that offered a free hot dog and water to any fan who presented it at the door of our Wingate match. Where there is free food, college students will follow. And it worked! That night our gym was the loudest it had ever been. Our stands were packed with chanting fans and cheering parents to see the top two teams in our conference, both 7-0 go head-to-head.

We battled but didn't do what we needed in order to beat Wingate. In order to beat the best, you have to play your best. Our stats can prove that we didn't accomplish our best. Never in our collegiate careers had we tasted 7-0, or what it felt like to play another undefeated team. As the final ball hit the ground it was an almost surreal moment. Like the games weren't really over. But it's not over. We get another swing at Wingate at their place and we will be more prepared. And while the after taste of a loss is still resonating in our mouths, we can rest easy knowing we will get will see them a few more times before our accomplishments are through.

Sunday most of us spent a few last hours with our families or completed homework and responsibilities that needed our attention before we head into another week. But we all got to look forward to Eileen's Italian dinner! Her mom brought fresh ingredients for her to prepare pasta for the team and it was FABULOUS! A little break from cafeteria food never hurt nobody, and we got a delicious taste of little Italy in Jefferson City that night. Like I said, where there is free food, college students will follow.

We would like to thank Walmart for donating 600 hotdogs in order to make Saturday night possible. Tennessee never lacks a sense of community. And also, thank you to our parents. I talk all the time about the sacrifices we make as players, but we know you make them too, like making it possible to play with the girls we love at a school where we can get a fine education and sacrificing your work schedules on Fridays so that you can come see us play. It doesn't go unnoticed! Even if we don't get to call you as much as you like, you are constantly in our minds and prayers.

Thanks for reading,

Kristina (Tina) Hill

God Bless!

Throughout the 2014 volleyball season, junior libero Kristina Hill (Lake Orion, Mich.) will write about her experiences at Carson-Newman. A new installment will be released each Monday afternoon.

- CN -