Danica

We are officially done with spring season. On Saturday we had our last spring match, we played an Alumni game against some of the old players and two of our assistant coaches. The  game was at the Fieldhouse at 3 p.m. To be honest didn't expect people to come and support since the game wasn’t announced or anything. However, some people showed up and supported us, it made me happy that people care about our team and respect all the hard work we have put into this spring. We won 3:2, it was very exciting to play against some of my old teammates and my coaches. We did well as a team, things we were working on the whole spring were finally visible. This game meant a lot to me and I took it  very seriously because it was probably the last time I will ever play with or against Danica. She is also from Serbia and she is one of the reasons I am here today but also helped mold me into who I am today. She is my role model. She played for my coach for four years and after that she was an assistant coach. She was team captain, leader and great student. After she was done with her Bachelors she continued to pursue her masters degree and became a graduate assistant for our team. In her carrier she got a lot of individual awards and won two National Champions with her team. Danica is an amazing player, her serves are deadly and she feels the game. Since I have been around her I have improved, she taught me a few tricks but most importantly she taught me how to be accountable and how to appreciate time spent at the gym. I admire her hard work and dedication. Now, she is about to graduate with her masters degree and she is about to go to Germany and play professional. I couldn’t be more happy for her, she deserves it!! I already mentioned how she is the big part of who I am today. She definitely is, she inspired me and taught me all she knows and now it is all up to me to use it wisely. She showed me with her behavior and actions about how to be a leader and how to try to make people around me better. She went through everything I am going to and she knows how it feels. I am so happy I had her by my side all this time. Danica changed my mentality and she taught me how to be a fighter! While I am playing and bringing some decisions that are connected with the team lots of times I ask my self what would Danica do? It makes me extremely sad that she is leaving but it makes me the happiest person ever because I know how much she wants to continue playing. Volleyball gave me so much and all the people that came with it influence me in one way or another. It is amazing how passion that players share between each other connects us and makes us grow. Most of you see it as a game for fun, but it is so much more. It is one big family that shares good and bad.