Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

I remember the exact moment when I stood in my kitchen and opened the recruiting letter from Mike Lester, head volleyball coach at Saint Mary’s University. I could not believe that someone was asking me to come play college volleyball for them. College volleyball had always been a dream of mine that seemed out of reach. Now here I am at the very last game of my career and I cannot believe how fast time has gone.  

How can I possibly sum up the past four years in one or two pages? I know that when I look back at my time at Saint Mary’s I will not remember our team’s records or who played every minute of each game. Although those things are important, there are many more things that stand out in my mind. I will remember the exhausting pre-seasons that made our bodies ache in places we didn’t even know was possible and how we felt like a real team afterwards because we made it through together. I will remember the long bus rides where we worked hard studying together as long as we could, before we had to fall asleep so we did not get sick. I remember the overnight stays in hotels where we would share great stories and laugh late into the night until we remembered that we had a match the next day. I will remember the numerous inside jokes that we shared and the feeling you get when you look at someone and know they are thinking the exact same thing as you. I will remember the love and support I felt when I lost two very important members of my family. Lastly, I will remember the passion we shared as we stepped out on the court because we wanted to play our best for the other five people that were standing next to us. These are a few of the things that define my experience with the Cardinal Volleyball program and they will stay with me forever.

There are so many people that deserve thanks because without their support I would not be here right now. First and foremost are my parents. You both have supported me in every way possible and I will never be able to say thank you enough for that. You have sacrificed so much to allow me to pursue my dream of becoming a college athlete. It has been a long rode that was not always easy and you stood by me the entire way. I know I would have never made it without your constant love and support. Dad: Thanks for the countless hours we spent out in the yard peppering back and forth until we couldn’t see the ball anymore. I hope that we can continue to play although I have no more pre-seasons to prepare for and I am almost “all grown up”. Mom: Thank you for being my number one fan. You are the best cheerleader anyone could ask for. Sometimes it was more enjoyable to watch you cheering me on in the stands than to play in the matches. I cannot count how many times you lost your voice because you were cheering too hard during the games. Katie: Without your love for volleyball, who knows if I would have even played? You have been an amazing role model all of my life and I will never stop looking up to you. Thank you for always lending an ear to listen and giving the best advice possible. You truly are one of my best friends. Ben: Thanks for sitting through countless games when I knew you could have been off doing many other things. You served as my punching bag after many frustrating losses and you always had a way of making me laugh when I was down. I know that I am very blessed to have you as my family. I love you more than you know!

Coach: Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity for the past four years. It was not always easy but we made it through. You always expected more from me, and I thank you for that. You taught me so much about the game that I love. Most importantly you cared more about me as a person than a player. I knew that if I ever needed anything I could come to you. I will miss constantly giving you a hard time about anything and you giving me the look and telling me to keep my mouth shut. It truly has been an honor to be a part of your program. Tessa and Ashley: It is unfortunate that we only had one year together. You both have taught me so much in just one season. Your knowledge and passion for the game is inspiring and I know you both are true assets to this program.

Rachel Sievers: It was a joy to have you as a part of the team this year. You had to do all of the jobs that no one wants to do and you did it without a word of complaining. Your positive attitude definitely contributed a lot to every practice and every match. I will always remember coaching a team with you at camp your freshman year. We had some great players and some great laughs.

Erika and Ku: I cannot believe how both of you fit in perfectly with our team. It feels like I have known you and been playing with you for more than three months. Erika I will never forget your hilarious comebacks and your great sense of humor. Ku I will surely miss seeing you run down the bench with a huge grin on your face after you just blocked someone. You both are amazing people and players and I hope to get to know you even better after season is over.

Linds, Welly, Gardner, Mate, Harstad, Rach, and Rac: You are such a talented group of volleyball players. It still amazes me how each of you continues to improve every day. Your unique personalities made coming to practice a joy because I never knew what was going to happen. Never settle for anything less than the best because that is what all of you deserve. I will miss Lindsey’s “Hey Baby”, the pocket snacks I shared with Welly, the sly grins from Gardner after a kill, trying to pronounce medical terminology with Mate, the constant giggles from Harstad, the high-pitched squeals from Rach, and the great dance moves from Rac. Keep working hard because the next two years go faster than the first two. 

Court, Pam, Jess and Britt: The one word that I would use to describe you four is dedication. You all work extremely hard and it shows when you step out on the court. It has been a joy playing with all of you the past couple years. I have no doubt that you will succeed in whatever paths you chose after SMU. I know I will miss Pam’s insane amounts of energy, Jess’s crazy spandex, Court’s squeals in the back row, and the look on Brit’s face when she gets a solo stuff block. Take charge next year and really make a name for SMU in the MIAC.

T: You are my co-captain, my roommate, and my best friend. You have influenced my time at SMU so much. You work harder than anyone I have ever met and you always had confidence in me that helped me believe in myself. Thank you for just being yourself and the best friend that anyone could ask for. I love nothing more than watching you celebrate a dig kill at a very crucial time in the game. I don’t know where either of us will be after SMU but I know that we will always be friends, no matter where life takes us. 

Kels, E, Mess, Kaufs, and Paulson: Thank you so much for everything you have done for me the past four years. You have become my SMU family. I cannot imagine my college experience without you. We have been through thick and thin together. It is scary to think that soon we will graduate but I can’t wait to see how each of you shares their talents with the world. Thanks again for you have truly helped me become the person I am today.

Thanks to all of my professors that I have had over the years. You made it possible for me to be a student and an athlete. Many of you went out of your way to help me when I missed class or struggled to balance sports and academics. You were always supportive and I want you to know how much I appreciate that. 

I have no idea what I am going to do when next fall comes around I will not be making the trip to Winona with the rest of the fall athletes. I know I will be thinking of the team as they prepare for the new season. I wish you all the best of luck and thank you for the time that we have spent together, whether it has been one season or four seasons. No matter where I go I will always remember the great times I had and the great people I met at SMU.