Weekend Getaway!

Okay, so far, this week is going really well for me. I passed a 3.27 on Tuesday and defended really well today. We have one more day of practice this week and then we have Friday off! Thank God because I need to get the hell out of here. And guess where I'm going!?!?!?!?! LINCOLN!!!!! Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am going back to the place that has become my home and the place that I have so very deeply missed since being in Anaheim. This Nebraskasickness I think has added to the stress of playing with USA. I realize I'm blessed to be here and I'm gonna play my ass off as long as I am here but damn I'm really really bummed I couldn't spend my last summer of college in Lincoln. It would've been amazing to be there working out, relaxing, and hanging out with my friends. ANYWAYS!! I'm done with my sob story. AAAAND I'm flying back to Lincoln tomorrow afternoon to work the last summer individual camp. I'm excited to see all my friends and former teammates and have a fun relaxing weekend. I've been looking forward to this for weeks! This might be the last time I get back to Lincoln for a long time, and once I get back to Anaheim I'll be back at it working hard to make the next roster for the Pan Am Cup in Mexico.

But for now, I'll be enjoying my time back in Huskerland :)

Kayla 

Struggle Bus

Welp, I didn't make the first roster. It's in Montreux, Switzerland and the team that did travel is there now. Not gonna lie, it sucks. The past two Saturdays we had morning scrimmages. Little did I know that the people that were going to Montreux were going to be participating in this scrimmage. I went to the gym the first Saturday scrimmage and warmed up like I would for a match. When warm up was over, we all gathered at the white board to find out what exactly was going to happen with the scrimmage. Hugh pointed at a couple of lineups on the board. If you're initials weren't in any of the lineups it meant two things. 1. You weren't going to Montreux. and 2. You could cool down. Wait...didn't I just warm up? So you're telling me that I woke up early this morning and prepared to play, warmed up, only to cool down right away? Really? Wow. I don't feel like a loser or anything. There were maybe five outcasts that didn't get to play. Awesome.

But, looking back on my first month or so here, I can't really say that I'm surprised anymore. I'm super bummed I'm not in Switzerland right now, but I haven't been passing nearly as well as I normally do, especially this past week. I've never been so frustrated with my passing. I don't think I've passed this bad ever. Literally. So, I've started coming back to the gym in the afternoons to get some extra passing reps. Which is really nice because it gives me a chance to work on technique and to get some one on one time with Hugh. AND not only was Hugh there yesterday, Stacy Sykora was there, as well. I've told you all about how I could sit and listen to Tracy Stalls talk forever and never grow bored. Well, Stacy is that kind of person as well. She is full of awesome stories and is super funny and so easy to talk to. Anyways, Stacy was there yesterday to get some easy passing reps as she's still trying to recover from her accident. She was AMAZING to me! She talked me through that entire hour of passing reps. She told me what I was doing right, what I could do better with, what I needed to fix. We would take turns getting reps and literally after every single one of my turns she had some sort of feedback for me. It was so great. She was so helpful and genuinely wanted me to do well and improve my passing. She told me about when she was first learning this style of passing how she would go and cry everyday after practice because she would get so frustrated. So, she understands the position I'm in as I'm trying to make adjustments that will help me become a great passer on a professional level, and she has been so empathic and helpful and wonderful. Even after practice yesterday morning, she talked to me about communicating strategies that she uses with the outside hitters she passes with. Over the past two days she has instantly become a mentor and role model for me. It's like an amateur guitarist that wants to make it big in the music industry getting a jam session with Leonard Skynard. I am so lucky. I can't wait to keep working with her. Needless to say, she gets my vote for teammate of the week.

So, goal for the next week (or I guess forever): PASS BETTER. That's what is going to get me to the Olympics. That's what going to set me apart from my competition. It is essential.

Wish me luck...

Kayla

3.64

I have to start off by saying that this is the number I passed today in practice, and I couldn't be happier. Yes folks, that is the best I have passed since being in the USA gym. I'm stoked. Sorry you're always getting my passing numbers but lately they have been weighing heavily on my mind so bear with me :)

Anyways, today's practice was so fun! Why? Well, I'll tell you. During our last hour of practice (during which we always play some sort of six vs. six activity) Karch and Hugh played along with us. This is probably because we were a couple players short today. Naomi, Dominique, Kari, and Becky are no longer in the gym with us. Naomi, Dominique, and Kari started their next quarter of school today, and Becky is playing professionally in Puerto Rico. So, we practiced today with only eleven players. Karch stepped in to take over an outside hitter position, and Hugh played on the right side. Every time I see Karch play, I find myself completely awestruck. He is truly the king of volleyball. He is so patient; he never makes mistakes. But, at the same time he gets kills because of how smart he is. He gives the ball to the opposing team's setter more than any player I've ever seen. That's just an example of how he sets himself apart. And on defense he just makes ridiculously impossible plays look easy. For example, digging a very hard hit ball with a chicken wing. Basically, getting pegged and it going perfectly to target. Jenna Hagglund tweeted today saying, "How come when Karch gets hit w/ a ball it miraculously pops up and we get the pt? When it hits me, I just look stupid and we lose the pt." That's a great question Jenna, and I'm thinking that it will remain a mystery for awhile.

AND, I am very pleased to inform you that I have officially scheduled my meeting with Hugh and Karch (to discover what my future with USA Volleyball is) for tomorrow at 1:30! I'm very excited for it! I have a good feeling. I will be sure to blog and let you know how it goes as soon as I get a chance tomorrow. Until then...

Peace. Love. Bearcrawls.

Kayla 

Again, it has been way to long since I've posted; like a ridiculously long time to keep my avid readers (aka Mom, Dad, and brother) waiting. But, I have an excuse! It may not be a good one, but it's a legit excuse! As some of you know, Christa Harmotto, and Alisha Glass were once roommates of mine, and the internet and cable was under Christa's name and apparently you can't change the name on the account. SO, when she left to return to her professional team in Italy, we had to cancel the cable and internet to our apartment and Kindra and I have been too lazy to call and get it started up again. And now with only two weeks left of this training block, it doesn't really seem worth it. Good enough? Oh well. Anyways, since it has been so long since I've blogged, I made a list of all the things that have happened in the past 12 days. So, fair warning, this will probably be a longer blog. Welp! Here goes!

1. My brother Eric, has been bugging me for the longest time about putting up another blog. This has convinced me that he may very well be my biggest fan! He has asked me in the past, "Is it weird that my favorite athlete is my little sister?" NO! It's not weird! I talked to him the other day on the phone and I told him when my training block was over and instead of saying, "Oh YAY Kayla! I can't wait to see you!" The first thing he said to me was, "So, do you want to play in my adult volleyball league game?" Priorities bro :) And even right now I know he is just so anxious to read this blog! He probably keeps checking my website with the slightest hope that something new has been posted...well here ya go brother. And PS...I may be your biggest fan too. But, you really do need to quit that job...just sayin...seriously quit...okay I'm done.

For those of you who don't know him, this is my brother, Eric. 

2. Not this past weekend, but the weekend before (March 9th-14th to be exact) my mom and aunt Mary were in town visiting, or vacationing whichever you'd prefer. Every day consisted of at least two hours of sun bathing, along with a little bit of shopping. The most memorable night was Saturday. We (Me, Mom, Mary, and Liz) spent the night in LA at a BEAUTIFUL hotel called Vagabond. It was absolute PARADISE! Are you picking up on the sarcasm? It's kind of hard to get it across in typing. Anyways, honestly, it was a complete dump! Like I literally thought we were a part of the next Criminal Minds episode. After settling in at our hotel, we went to the UC Irvine men's volleyball match vs USC which turned out to be right down the street from our five star hotel. Perfect walking distance. After the match we went to a bar near the Staples center and eventually made our way to an Irish pub. It was there that more drinks started flowing and we all started to loosen up a bit. It was also there that I gave out a fake number to a guy who I couldn't shake off. Too harsh? Maybe. Anyways, after this bar we wanted to go to another bar that one of our waitresses from earlier told us about. So, we hailed a cab, hopped in and told the driver where to go. He informed us that the bar we wanted to go to was quite literally two blocks down the street. And as soon as we were about to confirm that it was in walking distance, he took off. I guess every dollar counts for these guys. Even if it was only the $3.45 that we paid the man for the ride. Anyways, by the end of the night we made our way back to the hotel thanks to a cab driver that was convinced we were all alcoholics. The next morning, we got up bright and early, and after a McDonald's breakfast we made our way to Laguna Beach. It was a beautiful day. We sat on the beach for hours catching some rays and watching some bad volleyball. And after awhile Mary got an urge to pepper, and when am I ever gonna turn down volleyball? Never. So, we played around and let me tell you, Mary's still got it! It was very fun and we got to work up a little sweat. Workout for the day? Check! We ended the day with a little shopping at Diane's and a nice dinner at BJ's. Then it was home and we were watching Criminal Minds for the rest of the night. I gave them a ride to the airport the next morning! Overall, a GREAT WEEKEND!

Me, Mom, and Mary in LA.

Shoot, I'm only on #3...okay...

3. The Friday morning that mom and Mary were in town, I received a missed call from my brother Eric. My mom actually answered the phone and from what she said, this was their conversation:
                     "Don't go to the beach today!" -Eric
                     "Why not?" -Mom
                     "There is gonna be a tsunami!" -Eric
                     "Aww! Does that mean you would care if I died?" -Mom
                     "No, I just don't want to have to take days off for your funeral." -Eric
                     "Well you'd get bereavement days for it, paid days off." -Mom
                     "Oh, in that case, I hear there are gonna be some sweet waves                                                                  
                      today!" -Eric
So, you could say I woke up with a laugh. I went to practice and all the midwesterners were freaking out because of the tsunami that was gonna hit! All the Californians there were like "meh

4. This past Wednesday, March 16th, we held an intersquad scrimmage. Red vs. Blue. I was the libero for the Blue team. Also on the blue team was Becky Perry, Carli Lloyd, Lauren Gibbemeyer, Naomi Johnson, Kari Pestolesi, Kaitlin Sather, and Julianne Piggot. We played at a local volleyball club called T-Street. This night was a success! The blue team won in 5 sets with the 5th set being 15-13. I was sooooooo happy with the way I played. I got into a passing groove that allowed be to feel comfortable covering more area that I normally would cover. I passed a 3.45!!!! No, that is not a typo. 3.45!! I was 80% perfect on 30 attempts. Let's just say that it is the best I've felt passing since starting this training block. It was such a fun match. 


5. The next day, (Thursday, March 17th) we held another intersquad scrimmage at Irvine Valley College. Same teams: Red vs. Blue. However, this night was not as successful. Red team won in another 5 set match with the fifth set score, again, being 15-13. However, I didn't play as well as I would've like to. I think I passed something like 67% perfect, and I didn't even bother looking at the other passing stats. I didn't think I'd like what I saw. The match was sloppy, uncomfortable, and ugly. One word I used to describe this night was embarrassing. We were representing USA volleyball and that was the best effort we could come up with? Maybe this is too harsh, but it was very disappointing. 


6. But, a disappointing match wouldn't dismiss the fact that we still had another three hour practice the next morning followed by an hour lift. I woke up that Friday morning and thought to myself, "I can't do this. There is no possible way that I have enough energy to make it through this practice." But, I got to practice and once again FRS (the most amazing vitamin energy drink in the world) had my back. 

I chugged one down at the beginning of the practice and then convinced myself that I had enough energy to do this. AND THEN I PEPPERED WITH KARCH KIRALY! That energy quickly evaporated. The King of Volleyball is still the King and he worked me, and potentially proved to me that even though I am much younger than him, he may still be in better shape than me. Well, after the pepper from hell I officially hopped on the struggle bus. And by the middle of practice, fellow libero Cami Croteau and I upgraded to an all new level of struggle. We came up with new struggle terms because we didn't think that the term "struggle bus" would do us justice for how much we felt like we were struggling at the time. We came up with "struggle plane", "struggle cruise line", and "struggle army fleet of tanks". So, I guess we reached a point of delirium as well. 


7. Even though I was super exhausted I felt like I had a good practice on Friday. Every play was an inner battle but I pulled it out nicely and played pretty well. So, every Friday we vote for who we thought was the player of the week that week and the winner receives a $200 gift card to Lululemon Athletica (the most comfortable yoga pants you will ever wear). Well, my teammates voted me player of the week last week! So, I got to take myself shopping! There is one more goal I can check off the list. 

8. Friday night I went to Santa Monica to see my good friend Prince Amukamara. I went to school with him at Nebraska, where he played football. He's an okay athlete. Okay he's pretty good. He may or may not be (but definitely will be) a first round draft pick this year. Yeah, he's kind of a huge deal now. It was weird to see him now that he's super famous because I knew him before all this. So as soon as I get to his hotel I call him to see what room he is in. He told me to walk down the the Adidas store (he's sponsored by Adidas now) which was two blocks away. So, I walked down there and as soon as I walk in he goes, "I have a $1500 dollar shopping spree and I'm not gonna spend it all. Go pick out what you want." It took me awhile to pick my jaw up off the floor. And then told him that if was serious then I was gonna get a pair of shoes or something. He told me that I should and after a little hesitation I went and picked out a brand new pair. It feels weird. I seriously couldn't get over how big of a deal he is now. And I'm pretty sure the people who checked us out at Adidas had to have thought that I was his groupie. After that, we went to dinner with his Adidas rep, and first round draft pick from last year CJ Spiller. He plays for the Buffalo Bills, and he was in town doing stuff for Adidas too. Basically, I was at a dinner with two superstars and a man who pays them just to wear his brand. It was bizarre! After dinner, Prince and I went for a short walk before I headed home. It was really good to see him and catch up. He's a fun guy to be around.

This is Prince backstage of American Idol with Steven Tyler. Yeah...I told you he was a big deal.

9. I don't really have a #9. I think that's it. So, there ya go brother. There is the update from my life. Hope you enjoy! And, my apologies. I will try to blog more often because I'm sure you will keep yelling at me if I don't. 


Kayla 

What a Beautiful Day!

So many great things happened today! I don't even know where to start telling you about everything. So, I guess I'll just start from the beginning of the day. Every morning, at 6:50 A.M., a train likes to sound it's little (but really annoyingly loud) choo choo horn, acting as the most horrible alarm ever and waking Kayla up an hour before her alarm is set to go off. I seriously will wake up an hour early and not be able to get back to sleep, and then crawl out of bed an hour later completely pissed off. Well, THE TRAIN DID NOT WAKE ME TODAY!! It made me so happy to wake up to a beautiful country song. So, I woke up with a smile.

Then we had practice from 8:30 (passers went a half an hour early today) -12. It went pretty well. My defense is continuing to improve so I'm very happy about that. After practice, we DIDN'T lift (I needed a day off the weights after two straight lifting days). We went to The White House for lunch. This is a really nice Italian restaurant that allows the USA players, coaches, and staff to eat lunch at everyday for free! And every day it is delicious! In the afternoon we had another passing session from 2:00-3:00 and it was actually pretty fun (maybe because I downed an energy drink right before lunch and I was all kinds of jacked up).

This afternoon, Karch Kiraly text me and said, "You've had a nice 3 days of serve receive-passed 3.27 Tuesday, 3.57 yesterday, 3.46 today. Angles and tracking still getting better-keep it up! It'll be fun to see how  we pass vs. Japan". Wow. Amazing numbers for me and an awesome compliment from the King of Volleyball.

And this text leads me to the fact that we are playing the Japanese Youth National Team on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are even selling tickets and Karch said that we should be getting a pretty decent crowd there. And since we are playing a match, we will need these:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen! I present to you my USA jersey!! A jersey that has the letters "USA" on the front and MY NAME on the back. Isn't it beautiful? I cannot wait to put this on and step onto the court to represent my country. Represent MY COUNTRY! I can even wrap my mind around it. It is so surreal and amazing.

And to end the night, I went with Ellie, Ashley, Cassidy, and Jenna down to the farmers market which takes place every Thursday afternoon/evening literally on the street right next to our apartment. It was relaxing and fun. Now, I'm watching Glee (my favorite TV show) and American Idol (one of my other favorite TV shows) and then bed for a good night's sleep. And tomorrow is Friday! Everything about this day was perfect. Inspiring.

Every day I see my dream.

Kayla

P.S. I still haven't completed my next journal entry for class yet. But, as soon as I do, you'll be the first to read it.

3.11

This number may mean nothing to most of you. But, this number MADE MY DAY!!! Some of you may have already guessed it. I PASSED A 3.11 TODAY! It feels so good. Okay, some of you still may not understand my excitement. Passing is graded on a 4.0 scale, and since I've been in Anaheim, I've been passing below a 3.0 every...single...day...talk about frustrating. But, I did it! I broke through the 3.0 barrier, and I am very proud of myself.

Not only did I pass above a 3.0 in practice today, but for the first time I actually felt really good about the way I played. I passed well and I felt like more of a presence on defense. Don't get me wrong there have been plenty of days since I've started training that I felt like I've played good. But, never really  good. It's exciting to feel yourself taking steps forward. So to sum up, it's been a great day for me so far!

Something else exciting happened this past weekend too! Erik Sullivan (assistant coach when I was at Nebraska) was in Anaheim recruiting, and I got to sit down and have lunch with him. It was great to be able to talk to him, listen to stories and advice, and of course, enjoy a free lunch :) 

This is Erik and I with my fellow liberos Paige Hubl and Megan Pendergast at the Great Wall of China.

On the schedule for tonight is dinner and then Long Beach State vs. UC Irvine men's volleyball match. Can't wait! Until next time...adios amigos!

Kayla