Crema's full blog on her tryout experiences | Crema's photos from Colorado Springs
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Junior Mary Crema recently traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo., to try out for the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team, one of 232 athletes from 90 different colleges and universities to attend the prestigious event.
Throughout her journey westward from Buies Creek, Crema chronicled her experiences during the weekend, beginning from her training the day before boarding the plane and ending with her trip back home.
Following are excerpts from Crema's blog on her experiences in Colorado Springs.
Wednesday, February 18
"It's the day before I leave and venture out to Colorado Springs for the USA Women's National Team Tryouts. I am feeling butterflies from the moment that I wake up realizing that this dream is soon about to become my reality. I start my day with my team working with our trainer on fast feet and then follow it up with my last individual before I leave. Volleyball is the one part of my life where the moment I walk into the gym, everything else fades into the background. Today was a bit different. I realize that this is my last time in the gym before tryouts and am feeling nervous, but thankfully my coaches just keep me at ease and give me the last few touches I want before heading out to tryouts."
"Ever since I was little, volleyball has always been my passion. My dad was my first coach and helped me understand and fall in love with the game. My mom helped me to keep the game fun and would coach summer leagues for my sister and I. My brother and sister were my role models in the game and I would watch them play any chance I had. My family is the biggest part of my volleyball career and they all have taught me so much about the game. After every match, I talk to my mom or dad and re-hash the game and what went well or what didn't."
Thursday, February 19
"I landed in Chicago for my layover and instantly when I got off the plane I was reminded of what winter feels like in the North. It was -5 degrees outside and I questioned how I managed to survive all the winters in Ohio when I was younger. I found my next gate and waited to board for the flight to Colorado Springs. I ran into a man who saw my Campbell sweatshirt and he yelled out, 'HUMP DAY! GO CAMELS!' which made me laugh. When your mascot is a Camel, these things tend to happen more often than not."
"After lunch, we explored the campus a bit and I was in charge of the map and directing us around, not the best idea. We got a little lost, but asked for some help and finally found the volleyball gyms. All the facilities here are amazing and state of the art! During our exploring, we found a little lounge area where the walls were covered in signatures of all different athletes that had visited the OTC. We saw many Olympians' signatures across the walls, which was pretty remarkable to see."
Friday, February 20
"On the walk back, it was the first time I felt winded the whole trip. The altitude changes from North Carolina to Colorado are pretty significant and we had received multiple e-mails from the coaches to make sure we were hydrating prior to our arrival. Even though I had basically drank as much water as humanly possible, I could still feel the effects a little bit which made me nervous for how the first session of the tryout would go. When I got back to my room I made a conscious effort to keep drinking water before volleyball started later that day. We had the opportunity to sit in on a meet and greet with Kim Hill, the MVP at the World Championships and ask her questions. It was nice to see what life was like as a professional athlete and be able to ask her what it was like train in different countries."
"When we got to the gym there were about 80 girls in our group. We started off with a warm up led by the team trainer and peppered to get warm. The session consisted of passing drills and then a lot of competing. It was exciting to get on the court finally and it ended up being great volleyball. The caliber of talent was incredible and it made for exciting competition. We had a quick group meeting after the session and the coaches all introduced themselves. There were coaches from different schools across the country, so it was a great experience to see all of them and to meet them."
Saturday, February 21
"I headed to the first session of the day that started at 8:00 am. We did a lot of serve receive in the beginning which was the part of my game where I had been feeling most confident. I was at the point where I knew it would be mind over matter so I tried to not think about how I was feeling and just play. We went into wave drills next where we did a lot of playing. Again, it was great competition and I felt like I was getting the touches I wanted. By the end of the session, I was relieved and just wanted to rest knowing I had another session in four hours."
"When I saw the girls that were in this next session, I knew I had no choice but to push through. This was some of the best competition I was going to face all weekend. Thanks to my mom telling me that if I mentally pushed through I could do it, I was able to persevere. You have to love Moms! They always seem to know what to say. This session was incredibly competitive and I was going up against some of the best hitters in the nation. I found it absolutely thrilling and took full advantage of it. The session flew by and at the end I was pumped that I got through it. It was a day of volleyball I knew I would always remember. It was crazy how much I could learn in just a couple days of volleyball from watching some incredible liberos and being put to the test by the best hitters."
Sunday, February 22
"When I woke up this morning, I couldn't believe it was my last day in Colorado. One more session and that would be it. I started packing my stuff and was feeling a mix of emotions. I was exhausted and knew I would be glad to get back to school and back to normal altitude, but I also was having an incredible experience out here and did not want it to end."
"Today was the tournament day. They put us into teams and we played five games. It was really fun being put into teams because we met a lot of girls in such a short period of time. My team ended up winning the tournament, so we were all excited. We joked about how we won our 'gold medal.' After a cool down and stretching, Karch thanked us all for trying out and for putting in the time and effort. If I haven't mentioned it yet, Karch Kiraly is a volleyball legend. So, being coached by him all weekend was a wonder in itself."
"As I headed back to my room, I just couldn't believe we were done. It was one of the best experiences of my life in so many ways. I met great girls who I was able to learn a lot from and helped me to see volleyball in a new perspective. The coaches were incredible and had great advice and they were all passionate about the game. The volleyball itself was the best competition I have been a part of and I knew this opportunity wouldn't come knocking often. The facilities and the campus were absolutely beautiful and all the staff was so welcoming. This would be a weekend I would never forget. Regardless of what the outcome would be, I was thrilled to have just had the experience and opportunities I was given these 4 days. I left with no regrets and I knew I had put my best foot forward, even with being sick a couple of the days."
