Rachael Kramer is enjoying the competition thus far at the USA National Team Tryout.
Two Days at USA National Team Tryout
Sunday, March 5, 2017 | Volleyball
Friday's (March 3) travel day started at 6:30 a.m. and, of course, the four of us going to the tryout are not morning people. After hurrying through the airport, we made our 9 a.m. flight to Denver.
Following an expected bumpy landing and some turbulence, something this team is not fond of, we arrived in Denver. However, the tryout is Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center, so we had to rent a car and Mary (Wise) was our official chauffeur.
The Olympic Training Center is one of the most humbling places to visit because of its rich history, as well as the fact it is the greatest place in the country to perform. This happens to be my fourth time training at the OTC, but my first time in two years.
Mia (Sokolowski) has also been to the training center, but it was the first time for Darrielle (King) and Cheyenne (Huskey). I got the impression they were blown away.
The tryout is in the on-site volleyball gym and run by Karch Kiraly, a legend. It is an honor to be a part of a tryout run by him.
One of the greatest things about the USA tryout is going head to head with the best volleyball players in the country.
As a competitor, it is hard not to compare myself with everyone in the gym. It is easy to get lost comparing myself with everyone else, but as Mary told us before the tryout, the four of us need to live in the moment and stop worrying about what other people are doing.
Playing at this tryout with all the amazing players is a fun challenge for a blocker, since hitters swing as hard as they can every single time so they "impress" the coaches. Another challenge is taking sets from setters I never played with before. And being 6-foot-8 brings its own challenges, like setters setting the ball way too low. But it is interesting and satisfying to adapt to the different sets.
Playing with new people who have not been my teammates before is a fascinating dynamic, but there are several familiar faces, including some of our SEC counterparts. It is fun playing with the girls from other SEC schools, because although we may be rivals during college season, at the USA tryout, we put aside our pervious affiliations and play together.
Following two days of training, my body is exhausted. At the same time, though, I cannot wait have a great performance for the last session of the tryout.
Go Gators!
--Rachael Kramer
Following an expected bumpy landing and some turbulence, something this team is not fond of, we arrived in Denver. However, the tryout is Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center, so we had to rent a car and Mary (Wise) was our official chauffeur.
The Olympic Training Center is one of the most humbling places to visit because of its rich history, as well as the fact it is the greatest place in the country to perform. This happens to be my fourth time training at the OTC, but my first time in two years.
Mia (Sokolowski) has also been to the training center, but it was the first time for Darrielle (King) and Cheyenne (Huskey). I got the impression they were blown away.
The tryout is in the on-site volleyball gym and run by Karch Kiraly, a legend. It is an honor to be a part of a tryout run by him.
One of the greatest things about the USA tryout is going head to head with the best volleyball players in the country.
As a competitor, it is hard not to compare myself with everyone in the gym. It is easy to get lost comparing myself with everyone else, but as Mary told us before the tryout, the four of us need to live in the moment and stop worrying about what other people are doing.
Playing at this tryout with all the amazing players is a fun challenge for a blocker, since hitters swing as hard as they can every single time so they "impress" the coaches. Another challenge is taking sets from setters I never played with before. And being 6-foot-8 brings its own challenges, like setters setting the ball way too low. But it is interesting and satisfying to adapt to the different sets.
Playing with new people who have not been my teammates before is a fascinating dynamic, but there are several familiar faces, including some of our SEC counterparts. It is fun playing with the girls from other SEC schools, because although we may be rivals during college season, at the USA tryout, we put aside our pervious affiliations and play together.
Following two days of training, my body is exhausted. At the same time, though, I cannot wait have a great performance for the last session of the tryout.
Go Gators!
--Rachael Kramer
Players Mentioned
MB
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