Sabrina Bids Farewell

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CARDINAL ATHLETICS

Saint Mary’s volleyball has been a significant part of my time in college, which I’ve immensely enjoyed. My freshman year, it may have been a small miracle that I made the team (I sure felt like it was!). The friendships that I gained in my years with the team are amazing and many continue, even from year one! There are so many great memories that will always be with me: the NCAA tournament in St. Louis my freshman year and visiting the Gateway Arch, going to coach’s house for post-season team gatherings, listening to some of Rohde’s favorite music during warm-up for practice (which Tara and I enjoy a lot!), climbing to the rock with the team more than once, seeing the Atlantic ocean for the first time at the Endicott tournament last year, the Cross Country team decorating our locker room and donning our numbers on painted skin, morning workouts during the winter including the Olie and Lena jokes from Jamie Herrick, and going to the Bethany Lutheran tourney in September and seeing everyone together for the first time this year. I also had a great time coming here for the Hamline game last weekend and standing with the team during the game, wearing my jersey, and having teammates share their pocket snacks with me. It was those things that really brought me back to previous seasons and reminded me of all the fun I’ve had. My poor voice even got a little hoarse from trying to cheer and I felt alive with the game!

This season has been a bit different for me. I didn’t go with to the tournaments that I desperately wanted to attend. I didn’t get to enjoy the soreness from pre-season and tryouts or the lifting program (I’m almost joking about that…). I didn’t have the daily practices to keep me busy or have those to look forward to. I didn’t get to become close friends and teammates with the new freshmen. I miss the competition and this awesome sport!

However, I’m extremely grateful and lucky to have been part of such an awesome team. The amount of support I’ve gotten has been absolutely incredible and helped me continue to foster the positive attitude that is beneficial for a solid and speedy recovery. I’ve had teammates visit me in the hospital on several occasions, send me letters and an awesome T-shirt, enlist their parents to pray for and support me, keep me updated on the season, and send me the tremendous gifts of thoughts, prayers, and encouragement.

I want to send a special thank you to Coach for supporting me and being there to help me with anything in the past four years, to Nikki Fennern for being especially supportive and her visit to the hospital, to Jenna for the idea of the 5K benefit for my family and me, fellow seniors for helping make my experience with the team amazing – it’s hard to believe this is our last season together, Tara for the many visits and for being an awesome roommate and friend since our sophomore year, former SMU volleyball player and close friend Erika Hurley for being there for my family and me (I talk to her every day at while she’s in graduate school!), former team mates, coaching staff, and fans for their continued support, and this year’s team for helping to make my visits extremely enjoyable. Saint Mary’s volleyball will always be close to me and I very much appreciate my time on the team! THANKS AGAIN!