Colorado University Athletics
A Weekend In The Life Of A Collegiate Volleyball Player
November 07, 2016 | Volleyball
BOULDER — It is 43 degrees on a Thursday evening in the middle of October as the University of Colorado women's volleyball team charter plane pulls into Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport. The weather is cold and rainy and the forecast calls for much of the same for the next four days.
As soon as the players walk off the plane, they have 20 minutes to collect their thoughts before arriving at Washington State University to begin a two-hour practice.
"Once we get off the plane, we instantly need to dial into volleyball mode, all other thoughts aside," says freshman outside hitter Justine Spann.
The coaching staff refers to this practice as "sweating the travel out."
After a practice designed to awaken the team from a tiring day of travel, the team hops on the bus again and heads to the hotel in Moscow, Idaho, just a few miles away from the Washington State campus. There, it's lights out as the players do their best to get the necessary rest for the next evening's game against WSU.
The next morning, the first order of the day is breakfast. The team is constantly taking in and burning calories. The team never goes hungry, notes director of operations Crystal Gippe.
"Their days are surrounded by food, and they burn more calories than they realize." Gippe says.
It is of the utmost importance for the team to constantly make smart decisions when choosing what to put in their bodies.
"The girls wake up and they need to fuel their bodies, and following practice they need some sort of substance so their muscles stay strong and their energy is high," says Gippe. Along with eating healthy foods, it also means avoiding carbohydrates, cookies, sodas and candy.
Before the game, the team takes a break for downtime, which usually consists of calling their families or surfing the web.
"I heard Washington is expecting a big storm tonight," says Anna Pfefferle.
"I read that this is the biggest storm in 50 years," replies Stephanie Shadley.
Soon enough, however, it's time to head back to Pullman and the WSU court. When the team arrives, the arena is full and the energy is overwhelming.
"It's definitely really hard to play in this arena, especially in this loud environment," says junior right side hitter Gabby Simpson.
The Buffs, though, are up to the task, collecting a five-set win over 13th-ranked WSU, handing the Cougars their first home loss of the season in the process.
"Winning feels amazing, especially against a team who is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 right now. Our team chemistry out there was full of energy," says Gabby Simpson.
Despite the raucous environment, the Buffs say they enjoy playing in WSU's arena.
"It's a really cool atmosphere, I love playing in gyms where there is constant screaming and the fans have lots of energy," says Shadley, an outside hitter. "I thought we had fun throughout the entire match."
Though it may seem customary to follow a big win with a comfortable bed, that's not the case for the Buffs on this road trip. After the game, they head to the airport and board a plane for Seattle, where they will face Washington two days later.
While volleyball may be the purpose of the trip, the student-athletes must also keep up with their academic requirements while away from home. Schoolwork doesn't stop for road trips.
Players are not only expected to compete and play to their full potential every game, they are also required to keep up with their classroom responsibilities.
"I have a test on Monday, and at times it definitely is difficult to manage school and travel, but winning helps motivate me to do my homework," notes middle blocker Naghede Abu.
While on the road, players are allotted study hall time in the hotels. But, as freshman Justine Spann notes, "It is really difficult to balance academics and volleyball while on the road. Especially on weeks where we get back to Boulder, then within a couple of days we leave again for another road game."
Many of the Pac-12 road trips consist of matches Fridays and Sundays. It means the team leaves on Thursday and usually doesn't return until late Sunday night. The task of mixing highly competitive volleyball, travel and class work can leave players mentally and physically exhausted.
"This time of the season can be especially hard," notes sophomore opposite hitter Taylor Joachim. "Managing all of our school work, especially around midterms. But knowing how to manage our time helps me succeed both on the court and in the classroom."
Despite the seemingly endless tasks, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
"We are really fortunate to be given the chance to travel to such elite and beautiful schools and play the sport we love," says freshman defensive specialist Rachel Whipple.
Ryan Glavor, the technical coordinator and a former club volleyball player for CU, recalls how exhaustive the process can be.
"The girls have so much they need to take care of, it's a constant balancing act," Glavor says. "It is very impressive how well they manage their time and how well they can tune out the extra stuff in life and really dedicate their minds and energy to our matches. Then they go right back to being a student."
It takes a certain mental toughness to produce at such a high level while taking care of schoolwork.
"Being a student athlete puts some extra pressure on what they do as students because so much of their time is focused on being a good athlete and preparing for matches and travel," says head coach Jesse Mahoney. "This time of year especially as we get to midterms, the stress level goes up and they have to find ways to manage time and mitigate the demands of their time and their stress."
However, studying for midterms is not the only form of studying the team does. They also spend plenty of time studying and scouting their next opponent.
About four hours before a match, the coaches and players gather around a large table to study plays and players, something assistant coach Lee Maes calls a video scout session.
"We give them a visual example of the info we provide them in the scouting reports," Maes explains. "The girls have the ability to actually see what transpires, rather than just having it on a piece of paper. This helps them understand what the offensive patterns are in each rotation, and the opportunity to see player tendencies on the opposing team."
When it comes to memorizing, "We always give them about four or five concepts along with specific players tendencies, which is the most important information to memorize."
When the team plane touches down in Seattle, the Buffs are greeted by the major storm they had been reading about. But the pouring rain and gusty wind do not stop the team from spending a few hours at the Pike Place Market the next morning.
"It is a lot of fun being able to go places out of state over the weekend," says Alexa Smith. "Especially to places I have never been before."
Although these travel trips primarily consist of practice and games, the time the team spends together exploring new territory is beneficial not only for team bonding, but refreshing their minds before a big game.
The team arrives at Alaska Airlines Arena on Sunday afternoon, ready to face the seventh-ranked Washington.
"We try to stay focused on the game, get pumped up and have a positive mindset," says senior setter Marie Zimmerman. "We perform best when we are positive. When we are low energy in warmups, we don't start a game as we should."
On this day, the Buffs can't replicate their success from two days ago, as they fall to Washington, 3-0.
"You play at the level because you have a love for the game through the ups and downs," says senior middle blocker Kaitlin Cuff. "You continue to keep playing and pushing to get better each day. At the end of the day your teammates are the ones who get you through it. "
After the match, the Buffs head to the airport and depart for home. Their plane lands at about 9 p.m. at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Broomfield. As the team begins to wake up from their in-flight naps, smiles begin to spread across their faces.
Why?
"Next weekend we're home and tomorrow is an off day," Cuffs says with a grin.
The Buffs are back on the road for the second-to-last road trip of the 2016 season, at Oregon Thursday at 8 p.m. followed by Oregon State Saturday, also set for an 8 p.m. MT first serve.
As soon as the players walk off the plane, they have 20 minutes to collect their thoughts before arriving at Washington State University to begin a two-hour practice.
"Once we get off the plane, we instantly need to dial into volleyball mode, all other thoughts aside," says freshman outside hitter Justine Spann.
The coaching staff refers to this practice as "sweating the travel out."
After a practice designed to awaken the team from a tiring day of travel, the team hops on the bus again and heads to the hotel in Moscow, Idaho, just a few miles away from the Washington State campus. There, it's lights out as the players do their best to get the necessary rest for the next evening's game against WSU.
The next morning, the first order of the day is breakfast. The team is constantly taking in and burning calories. The team never goes hungry, notes director of operations Crystal Gippe.
"Their days are surrounded by food, and they burn more calories than they realize." Gippe says.
It is of the utmost importance for the team to constantly make smart decisions when choosing what to put in their bodies.
"The girls wake up and they need to fuel their bodies, and following practice they need some sort of substance so their muscles stay strong and their energy is high," says Gippe. Along with eating healthy foods, it also means avoiding carbohydrates, cookies, sodas and candy.
Before the game, the team takes a break for downtime, which usually consists of calling their families or surfing the web.
"I heard Washington is expecting a big storm tonight," says Anna Pfefferle.
"I read that this is the biggest storm in 50 years," replies Stephanie Shadley.
Soon enough, however, it's time to head back to Pullman and the WSU court. When the team arrives, the arena is full and the energy is overwhelming.
"It's definitely really hard to play in this arena, especially in this loud environment," says junior right side hitter Gabby Simpson.
The Buffs, though, are up to the task, collecting a five-set win over 13th-ranked WSU, handing the Cougars their first home loss of the season in the process.
"Winning feels amazing, especially against a team who is ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 right now. Our team chemistry out there was full of energy," says Gabby Simpson.
Despite the raucous environment, the Buffs say they enjoy playing in WSU's arena.
"It's a really cool atmosphere, I love playing in gyms where there is constant screaming and the fans have lots of energy," says Shadley, an outside hitter. "I thought we had fun throughout the entire match."
Though it may seem customary to follow a big win with a comfortable bed, that's not the case for the Buffs on this road trip. After the game, they head to the airport and board a plane for Seattle, where they will face Washington two days later.
While volleyball may be the purpose of the trip, the student-athletes must also keep up with their academic requirements while away from home. Schoolwork doesn't stop for road trips.
Players are not only expected to compete and play to their full potential every game, they are also required to keep up with their classroom responsibilities.
"I have a test on Monday, and at times it definitely is difficult to manage school and travel, but winning helps motivate me to do my homework," notes middle blocker Naghede Abu.
While on the road, players are allotted study hall time in the hotels. But, as freshman Justine Spann notes, "It is really difficult to balance academics and volleyball while on the road. Especially on weeks where we get back to Boulder, then within a couple of days we leave again for another road game."
Many of the Pac-12 road trips consist of matches Fridays and Sundays. It means the team leaves on Thursday and usually doesn't return until late Sunday night. The task of mixing highly competitive volleyball, travel and class work can leave players mentally and physically exhausted.
"This time of the season can be especially hard," notes sophomore opposite hitter Taylor Joachim. "Managing all of our school work, especially around midterms. But knowing how to manage our time helps me succeed both on the court and in the classroom."
Despite the seemingly endless tasks, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives.
"We are really fortunate to be given the chance to travel to such elite and beautiful schools and play the sport we love," says freshman defensive specialist Rachel Whipple.
Ryan Glavor, the technical coordinator and a former club volleyball player for CU, recalls how exhaustive the process can be.
"The girls have so much they need to take care of, it's a constant balancing act," Glavor says. "It is very impressive how well they manage their time and how well they can tune out the extra stuff in life and really dedicate their minds and energy to our matches. Then they go right back to being a student."
It takes a certain mental toughness to produce at such a high level while taking care of schoolwork.
"Being a student athlete puts some extra pressure on what they do as students because so much of their time is focused on being a good athlete and preparing for matches and travel," says head coach Jesse Mahoney. "This time of year especially as we get to midterms, the stress level goes up and they have to find ways to manage time and mitigate the demands of their time and their stress."
However, studying for midterms is not the only form of studying the team does. They also spend plenty of time studying and scouting their next opponent.
About four hours before a match, the coaches and players gather around a large table to study plays and players, something assistant coach Lee Maes calls a video scout session.
"We give them a visual example of the info we provide them in the scouting reports," Maes explains. "The girls have the ability to actually see what transpires, rather than just having it on a piece of paper. This helps them understand what the offensive patterns are in each rotation, and the opportunity to see player tendencies on the opposing team."
When it comes to memorizing, "We always give them about four or five concepts along with specific players tendencies, which is the most important information to memorize."
When the team plane touches down in Seattle, the Buffs are greeted by the major storm they had been reading about. But the pouring rain and gusty wind do not stop the team from spending a few hours at the Pike Place Market the next morning.
"It is a lot of fun being able to go places out of state over the weekend," says Alexa Smith. "Especially to places I have never been before."
Although these travel trips primarily consist of practice and games, the time the team spends together exploring new territory is beneficial not only for team bonding, but refreshing their minds before a big game.
The team arrives at Alaska Airlines Arena on Sunday afternoon, ready to face the seventh-ranked Washington.
"We try to stay focused on the game, get pumped up and have a positive mindset," says senior setter Marie Zimmerman. "We perform best when we are positive. When we are low energy in warmups, we don't start a game as we should."
On this day, the Buffs can't replicate their success from two days ago, as they fall to Washington, 3-0.
"You play at the level because you have a love for the game through the ups and downs," says senior middle blocker Kaitlin Cuff. "You continue to keep playing and pushing to get better each day. At the end of the day your teammates are the ones who get you through it. "
After the match, the Buffs head to the airport and depart for home. Their plane lands at about 9 p.m. at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Broomfield. As the team begins to wake up from their in-flight naps, smiles begin to spread across their faces.
Why?
"Next weekend we're home and tomorrow is an off day," Cuffs says with a grin.
The Buffs are back on the road for the second-to-last road trip of the 2016 season, at Oregon Thursday at 8 p.m. followed by Oregon State Saturday, also set for an 8 p.m. MT first serve.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
S
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