Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica

Here comes another random blog post. I have a few things to tell you about. So, here goes...

1. After the girls got back from Montreux, Hugh gave everyone a long weekend (16th-19th) which was much much needed. So, I decided to go back to Lincoln for a few reasons: to get out of Anaheim for a few days, to see my old teammates and friends in Lincoln, and to make some money working the last individual skills camp at Nebraska. It was an amazing weekend! I didn't get much sleep and working camp was exhausting but I got to see all my old teammates and coaches and have a night downtown with one of my best friends, Tara Mueller, and my momma. And even if it was only for a few days, I completely regained my sanity. I definitely needed a break from Anaheim to get out and spend some time away from the gym and the same faces.

2. While I was in Lincoln I did receive something that I've been waiting a long time for! And....drum roll please!

YES! Our Big 12 Championship rings are in! Designed by yours truly along with fellow seniors Lindsey Licht and Tara Mueller! And I think we did a pretty sweet job if I do say so myself! The only sucky thing about it is that it doesn't fit :( So, looks like I'll have to get it resized to fit my fat swollen fingers. But, oh well, at least it's cool to look at!

3. For those of  you who know me, this may come as quite a shocker so brace yourselves....I've started eating salad. AND I LIKE IT NOW! Like if I go to a restaurant, I may actually order a salad as my entree just like I did recently at JT Schmid's:

You got it! This, ladies and gentlemen, is a chicken caesar salad. I ordered it. I ate it. I enjoyed it. Like I actually get cravings for salad now. Even tonight Carli (Lloyd), Gibby (Lauren Gibbemeyer) and I went back to this restaurant (we received gift cards as a meal stipend) and I ordered one of my usual favorites: Chicken Parmesan. I got done eating it and I literally thought to myself, "I should've ordered the salad!" Crazy right? I know what you're thinking..."Why Kayla! Chicken Parmesan is normally one of your absolute favorite meals!" I KNOW! My mind is still boggled by it. But, I'm gonna go with it because salad is like good for you or something right? ;)

4. So, it looks like I won't be making any rosters for the summer. Which is understandable as Team USA needs to qualify for the Olympics this summer and they don't want to send any rookies to try and do that. So, I get it. It just sucks to be stuck training while others get to go and compete. So during tournaments, the traveling roster will go and compete, leaving about 12-14 people in the gym to continue practicing while they are gone. So, it looks like we might have to forget about London in 2012 and look towards Rio in 2016 because I might have set my own expectations a little too high. "Reach for the stars. And if you don't grab 'em, at least you'll fall on top of the world." Nothing wrong with setting big goals for yourself. I'm not sure how long I'll be in Anaheim for, but the team will be gone competing the entire month of August and I'm not sure I want to stay here during that time to train with a small group without our coaches. So, we'll see what happens. I'm trying to figure out where I'm going to go play this upcoming season. Austria is looking pretty good right now (maybe because I don't have any other offers). I think I would like Austria. Maybe because the coach of that team is actually one of my USA assistant coaches, and my USA teammate, Jenna Hagglund, is for sure playing there too. And my USA teammates that have played there before have all told me that it is a great first year experience and a great way to get better. So don't worry Mom and Dad, I'm not signing any contract yet, at least not until we figure out some more details. But, Austria right now is a strong possibility for my first overseas league season.

5. Alright, this may be the most random sentence of this entire post, but I think I'm going to get back into drawing. I know, random. I was in art classes all through high school so I love drawing (and I think I was pretty decent at it too). Not only do I enjoy it, but I think it'll be a good way for me to relax and mentally "get away" now that life has become a little more stressful. Maybe if I do start drawing again I'll post some on here so you can see.

6. Anyways, things have been a little rough here with volleyball and school. It hasn't been the easiest road so far but I gotta keep telling myself it'll all pay off in the end. I miss home and I miss Lincoln and I miss my friends very much! I want you to know I love you all! And Goosey I will call you soon I promise :)

And I know I've been faltering on my "The Office" clips so here is a good one I think you'll get a laugh out of! Enjoy! Identity Theft

Okay that's all I have right now. Goodnight all! DREAM BIG!

Kayla 

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

Willy's Wedding!

This past weekend I was so lucky to be able to be back in Lincoln for the most anticipated wedding of the year! Okay it wasn't the royal wedding, but it was my good friend and teammate, Jordan Wilburger, who tied the knot this weekend. As soon as I found out that we would have that weekend off practice, I booked a flight into Lincoln for Friday night. But, I didn't arrive on Friday night :( Okay here's the story. I got to the Orange County airport on Friday a little earlier than I needed to get there. Not sure why...nothing better to do I guess. I get to the self check in and enter in my confirmation number. Immediately a screen pops up that says, "Your flight has been delayed causing you to miss your connecting flight. Sorry for this inconvenience." My heart starts racing a little and I turn immediately to the lady working the desk and tell her what's going on. She looks to see if there are anymore flights out of Denver that I would be able to make. There weren't. She looks at if there are any other flights to Denver from Orange County that would get me there in time for my connecting flight. There weren't. Oh no... After about another five minutes of fiddling around on her computer, she looks up and informs me that the earliest she can get me to Lincoln is 6:00 Saturday evening. My jaw drops. I stare at her for about ten seconds. And then I start crying. I'm literally standing at the United Airlines check in bawling. The lady stares at me horrified and I beg her to try and find another early option for me. I tell her about the wedding and how I have to be in Lincoln before 5. She immediately sets to work and literally after 45 minutes gets me on a flight to Denver, where I have to stay the night (they put me up in a hotel). Then she gets me onto a flight Saturday morning getting into Lincoln at 12:30. I hugged her. No joke.

So, I get into Lincoln at 12:30 Saturday and my teammates Megan Pendergast and Gina Mancuso pick me up from the airport. We went straight to Megan's house after a couple quick errands. We hang out and watch  The Office for a couple of hours and start getting ready for the wedding. So, me, Megan, Gina, Morgan Broekhuis (another teammate of mine), and Chris Schumann (Meg's boyfriend) all go to the wedding together. We arrived early because we wanted to make sure and get good seats. Right after we sit down, it hits me. Willy is actually getting married today. It's actually happening. She is younger than I am, not by much but still, imagine if I was getting married. Can't picture it, can you? Anyways, the music starts and the flower girls and bridesmaids and groomsmen make their way down the aisle. Jess Yanz, Brooke Delano, and Brigette Root are all bridesmaids and they all look absolutely gorgeous. As soon as I see Willy walking down the aisle, looking absolutely stunning, I immediately have tears running down my cheeks. I've played with and loved this girl for four years, she is a great friend of mine. Tears of joys are streaming down my face. This confirms the fact that when I do get married, I'm gonna be a crying mess. The tears didn't stop any time soon. Her dad stood up there with her for the first few minutes of the ceremony and eventually hugged her and placed her hand in Jon's. The waterworks continue. They said their vows and "I do's" and then it was over. They were married. The ceremony was beautiful and the reception was so much fun! I got to see my old teammates and coaches and relax and dance! It was pretty perfect for me. And Megan Pendergast and I finished the night downtown celebrating her 21st birthday. My little bro is growing up so fast ;)

I went to the airport the next day to fly back to California. I walk in and the first thing I see is that my flight is delayed...weird. And I'm missing my connecting flight...again, weird. Sounds about par for the trip. So, I was blessed with another night in Lincoln with Megan, Gina, and Morgan. Although, I did miss practice Monday morning, I got back into Orange County Monday night around 9. Even after all the delays and all the trouble, just to be at Willy's wedding it was all worth it. I am so happy I could be there. Love you always Willy!

Kayla

What is God? Who is God?

So, I was sitting in my apartment on Monday night, not expecting any company, when I hear a knock at the door. Who could that be? I walk to the door, trying to make as little noise as possible with my feet....not sure why...maybe that secret mission to not let the person on the other side of the door know that you're awkwardly looking through the peep hole at them...ANYWAYS...I looked through the peep hole and saw a brown curly fro, which could only be associated (in my mind) to one person: TRACY STALLS! Tracy recently moved out of the apartment after saying a peaceful "goodbye" to USA Volleyball. I quickly opened the door and gave her a huge bear hug! She couldn't stay for long, but she wanted to stop by and say "hello" (which made my day) and have a short chat. I swear to you, I could sit and listen to Tracy talk for days and days and never grow bored. She just radiates light and energy and spirit. Anyways, she told me that she was headed up to another apartment for an "Eagles" meeting. I had no idea what "Eagles" was, so naturally, I asked. She explained to me that some of the USA players got together for a weekly meeting where they prayed, shared stories, discussed sermons and bible verses, and just grew closer to God. At first I kind of dismissed it; God and I have grown apart over the years and I'm not sure if I was ready to discover who God was or if He is even real. In the past few years, I never really considered myself ready to explore that area of myself and my beliefs. But, after sitting and talking with Tracy for a short five minutes, I thought maybe it's something I should check out, just to see what they're about. And of course, Tracy is so welcoming, telling me that if I want to, I should feel free to join them. I asked what room they were in and she told me. I looked at the clock and saw that they were meeting in 5 minutes and thought to myself, "Why not?" I felt an inspiration just from talking with Tracy (yeah that's how amazing she is to talk to) that I decided to go check it out. I told myself that I didn't have to talk if I didn't want to. I could just listen and see what they were about. Tracy knew that I wasn't sure about God (just from a previous conversation I've had with her), and she was so understanding with me about it. So, I walk into this apartment and the group consists of me, Tracy, Tama Miyashiro, Courtney Thompson, Angie Forsett (formerly Angie Pressey), and Danielle Scott-Arruda. This was their first meeting of the summer session so they decided to go around and share how God was present with them during their overseas leagues and the way God has shaped their lives since the last time they met with each other. I enjoyed listening to their stories. It was crazy the way they found God in everything they did. At some times, they would give their lives up entirely to God and just say "Alright God, I don't know what I'm doing so whatever you want for me..." I can't say that I can really relate to it (the best story I could think of in my head was about finding a dime), but it was cool to listen to. And I didn't feel the need to share anything. I wasn't pressured to. I was really just hanging out listening. But, I tell you what, Tracy just reinforced to me why she is like the coolest person I know. She just pours out love and joy and fire and passion into everything she does, especially her relationship with God. And she is just so inspirational in a way that is hard to describe. I listen to her talk and the fire in her heart catches in my heart and it makes me want to cry. That might sound crazy but that's the best way I know how to describe it :)
Like I said, I don't know God the way these women know God. If I would have said something tonight, I would've talked about how I haven't voluntarily been to church in four years, how I find church kind of creepy and cultish, and I would've told them how I feel spirit and inspiration and happiness in my heart, but whether or not that is God to me, I don't know. I'm sure they would've understood where I'm at with my idea of God, but I didn't feel like it was necessary to share on the first night. If I do keep meeting with them and trying to figure this out, then they will hear about it in due time.
Anyways, I just felt the need to write about this cool experience. My heart was seriously on fire with inspiration after this meeting....hmm....

...maybe that's God...

Kayla


P.S. Once again, I'm setting ground rules for this post. No questions, no comments, no "help", I don't want to be "saved". If I'm going to figure this out, I'm going to do it on my own (with the help of my "Eagles" of course) It will be mine and only mine.

Week One

Well, I survived week one. And not only did I survive it, I think I held my own just fine. I defended pretty well and put up good passing numbers. On Friday, I passed a 3.53 with 67% perfect! So yeah, I'll take those numbers any day. The thing I like most about this training block is the level of intensity. In the winter, we all had fun every day playing and getting better. As Hugh would put it, it was "all rainbows and ponies". Well, this summer is not going to be "all rainbows and ponies". The stakes are much higher, therefore the level of intensity is climbing. After all, people aren't just playing to get better anymore. People are competing for a spot on the Olympic roster. And to add to that, the coaches keep score of EVERYTHING. So, you work your ass off to win every single point as it may be the difference between making a roster and not making a roster. And if you take points for granted or let a point slip away on a play that you should've made, you will definitely be hearing about it from the people around you who are trying to get as many point as they can. Basically, the "rainbows and ponies" are gone. So, I'm grinding every day because like I've said, London may not be completely realistic for me, but it's what I have my sights set on.

Anyways, this last weekend was definitely a good one! My good friend Brooke Delano was in town and spent the entire weekend with me!!

Brooke and I in Hawaii!

Brooke and I have been playing volleyball together for the past four years at Nebraska. We came in in the same freshman class in 2007. Brooke redshirted her freshman year so she still has a year of eligibility left. It was definitely weird having senior night without her :( Anyways, she flew in to Santa Ana on Friday afternoon and after a quick stop at my apartment to drop off her bags, we headed to Long Beach to have dinner with fellow ex-husker Tracy Stalls. We went to a cute little diner that served breakfast all day! Yum! So, It had probably been four years since the three of us had sat down and had dinner together, and it was a great "catch-up" session. After dinner, we went to "First Friday" which is just basically a chance for local artists to display their work and live musicians to show off their music. It was cool to experience something different. We didn't stay too late. We were back to the apartment by 9. We had plans to go out in Newport, but fatigue took over and we decided to have a chill night. We watched a movie and hung out with fellow USA teammates Jenna Hagglund. Friday night we decided that Saturday was gonna be a beach day. We planned on leaving at like 11 am and spending literally all day there. Well, the weather didn't like that idea and decided to be cloudy all day. We still went in the hopes that the clouds would clear up. They did, eventually, the minute we left the beach. The sun started peeking out on the drive home :( When we got home we had a baking session with Jenna and my roommate Destinee Hooker. We made delicious Oreo balls! We spent the rest of the afternoon watching the men's volleyball championship match. Saturday night we went out in Hollywood! We went to two clubs and it was super fun! The weekend ended with us heading back to LA on Sunday for a taping of Simon Cowell's new show "The X Factor". The show was really poorly run and took way longer than it needed to but the acts were very entertaining. This is including a 62 year-old woman who sang "I Touch Myself". It was hilarious. After the show Brooke's cousin picked her up and they were off to Bakersfield for the week so she could spend some time with her family. Overall, it was a great weekend! 

I guess that's all I have for now. And of course, here is your "The Office" clip. Enjoy!

Kayla

Life Update

Again, this is going to be a random blog, but I have about an hour of free time. I'm sitting in the Union right now people watching and have a few things on my mind.

1. I have 12 credits left to complete my degree, and they are seriously haunting my nightmares. Since I'm not planning on being in Lincoln more than a few days for a while (if ever), I've been looking into completing my degree via independent studies. These 12 credits consist of two English classes, a history class, and an elective. My history class and elective will be easy to complete and I'm planning on doing that over the summer. It's the English credits that are looming over my head. I went to meet with my English advisor to see what my options were and it turns out that she is on maternity leave until June. Great. So, I talked to "stand-in" advisor who didn't really know what she was talking about. She did, however, refer me to another staff member in the English department: Laura White. So, I emailed Dr. White and filled her in on my situation and requested to set up an appointment to meet with her. She emailed me back and referred me right back to the "stand-in" that didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Awesome people. I would try and tackle this problem with Dennis LeBlanc (our athletic academic advisor), but an English major is a rarity with athletes on campus so he needs help in figuring out what would be best for me to do. I'm about to just give up on this English department and explore other options with Dennis like finishing at a junior college, or maybe even foreign exchange (when I, hopefully, get signed with an overseas volleyball team).

2. I start up training with the USA team in exactly one week, and I am super excited for a few reasons. First, I get to be with the girls I played with in the spring again (Jenna Hagglund, Becky Perry, Kindra Carlson, Lauren Gibbemeyer, and Carli Llyod). We all got to be pretty good friends and I miss them. I also get to see former Husker teammates Jordan Larson, and Tracy Stalls. The idea of being back on the court with them seriously gives me butterflies! I'm very excited. Second, I get to learn and compete with some of the best players in the world and make myself a better player. I just love chasing dreams. And although it may not be a real possibility, I have set my sights on London. "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land among the stars." -Les Brown. Third, I get to get my life figured out. I don't enjoy not knowing what's going to happen. So, I'll hopefully get to plan out at least the next year of my life; figure out more about the summer training process, what I'm going to have to do to get signed with an overseas team (if I need to this year when the Olympics are only a year away and there are qualifying tournaments during the overseas seasons), what the process is for the year of the Olympics, and hopefully I'll learn more about playing in Olympic qualifying tournaments. And lastly, I'll get back to 80 degree weather in beautiful Southern California.

3. This break has FLOWN by. I've been in Lincoln working out, training with the Huskers, and finishing up my online class for this semester. It has seriously been a blast. I've never been so happy to go to practice. Being back in the Coliseum was a dream come true. I've gotten to see all my teammates and friends that I love so much! And I've gotten to experience happiness to the fullest extent. My heart is truly happy right now and as much as I am excited to get back to Cali, leaving Lincoln and the people here might be one of the hardest things I'll have to do.

I'm flying back to Cali on Saturday the 30th, and I'll be back in Dubuque this Wednesday, the 27th. So, if you're in Dubuque and want to hang out, shoot me a text.

Goal for the next month: figure out my one-year plan. I'll keep you posted as I start to figure things out.

And of course, like I promised here is your "The Office" clip of the day. Enjoy! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poDLjwSmaW0

Kayla