Volleyball, volleyball, and moooore volleyball

     With more of a routine in place, I find less need to update you on every single detail of my days here. It seems that this cloudy Saturday morning is reminding me that I should try and write some more.  This week has been filled with more volleyball which sped up the weekend faster than I expected.  Even though I am dedicated solely to my volleyball club, I also have been given the chance to practice with another team nearby in Neuchâtel. The difference between the two are the divisions we are placed in. In Switzerland, there are two divisions. I myself am playing in the second division, but this new team plays in the first. Because I know more touches for me means better volleyball played, I took the train 🚞 to the "big city" to train 💪 more. My first day with them was on Tuesday. 'Twas also the first day I rode the train all by myself. Big girl now. With directions from my coach, I warily made my out of the station and had no idea what to do next, only to be saved by another player I saw on my trip who helped direct me to our ride to the gym.  

     After a few "one way only" streets later, we made it to the facility and I was greeted by all the girls and coaches. Already I noticed a difference between this group from my own small town team. The average height was raised by about 2-3 inches (still not sure how to say how tall I am in the metric system yet). I also noticed one of the girls was wearing a UCONN basketball shirt and USA vollleyball sweats and at first, I thought she must be the American that plays on this team. That was until I heard her speak. She either was incredibly fluent in French or had acquired some sweet gear from American teams. The latter proved to be true. Most of the girls here speak English and I am able to briefly introduce myself before the practice begins.  We start out with a quick warmup and the fun then begins.  It seems to be common practice to use a sort of bench that can stack upon each other to as low or as high as needed. Though only wide as a bench press bench, we stand precariously on them to hit balls across the net to work on defense. I was glad to not be the only person apprehensive to stand 4 feet off the ground. (2 meters? I have no idea) With a couple close calls, I'm happy to report I have yet to fall off one of these stands this week. (Please knock on wood for my sake. Do it now). Once I had the chance to go through the defense a couple times, I figured we would switch drills. Haha silly American. Apparently in Europe, or maybe just Switzerland, they do not jump at all in the morning or midday practices.  (Apparently America and Brazil does, food for thought.) We did this for a solid hour and a half with a little passing at the end of practice. Not that I was upset or mad, but I honestly can't remember a practice in all my 12+ years of volleyball where I solely played defense all practice. It was really fun, but very different from how I received defensive reps at UW. In high school we did something similar, but that was generally during camp time as well. 

     Once I learned the cultural fact of no plyometrics, I realized each noon practice I plan to attend with this team, will more or less be the same thing. I am surprised I have yet to be six packed yet but once again, please knock on wood for I'm sure I just jinxed myself.  On Friday, Since my team does not practice at all, I trained with the NUC team both at noon and in the evening.  The later practice would promise to have more than just defense and passing.  I was able to meet more of the girls, for during they day, some cannot make the noon practice with school or work.  Like I said, the level is higher here, and by the end of practice we are playing a sort of 5 on 5 game with down balls as the start of each rally.  Not to sound vain, but I think of myself as a powerful hitter, only I may have met my match this practice. One of the women on this team, (and I say woman not girl) for she can rip the absolute snot out of the ball. It was fun playing with all of these great players, but I especially like the challenge to see if I can dig the likes of her.  My turn being at the net as a front row hitter, reminded me once again I forgot my puffer back in the states and that I need to get my ass into better shape. Overall, it was great way to end the week, and I felt content and satisfied with my performance over all. 

        The practices with my own team have steadily become more intense with more game like situations being put in place. I really enjoy playing with these girls, even if the speed of the game is not as fast as it is at UW. I find myself being more comfortable around them, and becoming more my loud bubbling self.  You can really feel the family like atmosphere on this team which I can relate to in my experience at UW. At the end of the day, that's what I enjoy most about being on a team like this.  You can have a winning record and a PAC 12 title (hey yo, go dawgs 💜💛🐶) but what I think is most important are the relationships built with the people you interact with.  Already I can tell, by the end of these next 8 months, It will be hard to leave all these great people.  But thinking ahead takes me away from the present which I try to live in every moment while I am here.  Today, I am excited to go to my first European futbol game with some of the NUC players. Tomorrow, I get to see my new and more permanent home for the rest of my time here. Everyday here still feels like a gift and I love every second of it. I miss everyone back home, but I am still grateful for this experience and look forward to sharing more adventures with you all. 

Good luck to all the teams back home starting their seasons. Go Irish 🍀 and Go Huskies!!

Till next time,

A sore American

PS this is my view from the train everyday to and from Neuchâtel