Entry No. 3: Nov. 7, 2008
This past weekend we traveled to Kentucky and Tennessee for two very tough matches. You all may not be aware, but every SEC match on the road is always a battle. The teams in our conference are all fighters, and regardless of win-loss records, any team can win on any given day. The winning team is usually determined by who fights the hardest, who wants it the most and who executes the best. Unfortunately for us, we weren’t that team this past weekend. I can’t say we didn’t fight because we certainly did. I also can’t say that we didn’t want victory because I can speak for the entire team in saying we always want to win.
However, our execution was not near where it needed to be in order to beat two great teams like Kentucky and Tennessee. It is disappointing, but as I said earlier, we are fighters. We work hard, we love to compete, and nothing pumps us up more than playing on our home court! This weekend we will have a chance to do that against Alabama and Mississippi State. The team has been working hard in practice to prepare for this weekend. We can’t wait to compete against two solid teams in what will be two great matches.
We know this is a big weekend for us, and starting tonight we are ready to come out fighting. So, Tiger fans, please come out and support us at 7 p.m. tonight and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday for two crucial matches. We look forward to seeing you all in the PMAC!
Please try to come out early tonight as “Beat Bama Banners” will be handed out to the first 500 fans. Sunday is Family Fun Day before the match, so come early because there will be an inflatable activity for the kids from noon to 1:30 p.m.
Geaux Tigers!
Entry No. 2: Oct. 22, 2008
This past weekend was awesome! It seemed that the last few weeks our team was in a rut. We weren’t performing as well as we hoped and despite how hard we worked, we still weren’t as successful as we wanted to be. This weekend we changed all of that!
Our first match was Friday against Mississippi State. We left Thursday afternoon after practice and made our way to Starkville. Our team is fortunate to have a completely new bus to travel with! We get to watch movies and satellite T.V. plus there is wireless internet so we have access to our school work on the road. It’s incredible! Our match Friday night was definitely a challenge. Mississippi State’s gym is very different from ours so we practiced Friday morning to get a feel for the building. Our practice paid off because we won in just four sets! It was an exciting match and it always feels good to win! That night was also a great accomplishment for our head coach, Fran. She recorded her 300th career win when we defeated Mississippi State. Our team was definitely excited to be a part of something like that!
The next day, Saturday, we traveled to Alabama to play the Tide. Unlike our previous match, we ended up going five sets but came out victorious. Playing at Alabama is always a true test for our team. It is a very competitive atmosphere and they always fight hard to win. Fortunately for us we played well and we were able to defeat them!
This weekend ends our Dig for the Cure campaign raising funds for breast cancer awareness and research. We’ll be matching up with Florida and South Carolina. On Friday, we want everyone to wear pink and join us at the pink carnival outside of the Maravich Center. The carnival will start at 5:30 p.m. and all proceeds will benefit Komen for the Cure. Any donations that can be made to the Komen for the Cure Foundation would be much appreciated! Please come out and support our program. Hope to see you soon y’all! 🙂
Entry No. 1: Oct. 2, 2008
This past weekend was our first weekend playing at home. There is always an added excitement when we get to play on our own court. We had been waiting for this weekend since we reported for preseason!
Our first match against Tennessee was definitely a battle. They are always a great team and they really challenged us to play our best Friday night. It took us a little while to warm up and reach our normal level of competitiveness. So, after losing the first set we were able to bounce back and take the next three.
The next match wasn’t as successful. We played Kentucky and, as usual, they came here fighting and ready to win. Unfortunately, after losing the first set in this match as well, we never were able to regain our edge. We lost in three and as a team we were very unhappy with how inconsistent we were throughout the match. I’m sure everyone knows it isn’t fun losing, and no one ever wants to, but some weekends a team just isn’t able to pull through despite how hard they try.
This weekend, that was us. In no way are we discouraged or hanging our heads. We came into practice this week with new goals, new ideas, and a new drive to improve with every ball we touch. Our team has no intentions of having another unsuccessful weekend and can’t wait for this coming Friday when we play Ole Miss and then again on Sunday when we play Arkansas!
Please come out and see us! Geaux Tigers!