REBELOG: Allegra Wells USA Volleyball National Team 06.02

June 2, 2011

Thursday, June 2 - So, I played my last volleyball match of the event here at the USA Volleyball A2 National Open Championships. We lost in the championship game and finished second overall.

The time I spent there was a HUGE learning experience for me. It has definitely made me appreciate my teammates, who I know will always be there for me when I'm struggling. It has made me appreciate my coaches, who I know will also always be there for me as well.

I've learned so much. I've learned that you have to sit and watch to learn sometimes. It's not always about playing - even though you want to be on the court so bad. You want to be the go to person in games like that.

I had such a good time and a great experience. I hope to have the opportunity to do it again next year. Thanks for keeping track of what's been going on with me during this experience. I hope to see everyone in the stands cheering us on this fall when I take the court with my team back at the Gillom Center on campus.

-AW

Monday, May 30 - Oh my gosh! The matches this weekend were so good. We won both of the matches we played on Saturday.. I got to play in one of the two matches and it was so nerve wracking. The players are all so big. So, I was a little nervous.

We played well on Sunday and beat a Canadian team. We are the top seed right now in the tournament, so I'm really happy about that.

We play again today on Memorial Day, and I'm sad that I won't get to spend the day at home with my family. I'm still pretty thankful that I get to play volleyball, though. And I'm really thankful for all of the people who have fought hard to make sure that I get the opportunity to do the things I am able to do on a day like this.

Back to the court, but I'll update with more later.

-AW

Saturday, May 28 - Wow. This has been a learning experience, for real. Most of the girls I'm playing with are all American and have been playing volleyball for a really long time, so in their eyes I'm just a baby when it comes to volleyball.

I've learned a lot from watching them. Watching how they play and how they carry themselves on and off the court. They have a demeanor about them that just stands out. It's pretty amazing to watch.

Today we play our first game and I'm playing with the US A2 Red Team which means I'm playing with some players I'm already familiar with and it's a different experience. I'm used to playing against Kelly Murphy and Kristy Jaeckel from Florida, and Kayla Jeter and Kelsey Robinson from Tennessee. Now we're all on the same side of the net and it's different.

Four of the other girls on the Red squad are from Pac-10 schools so they've been around a high level of volleyball competition all their life. It's exciting to have this opportunity, and like I said, I'm learning a lot.

We'll see how we do out on the court.

-AW

Wednesday, May 25 - Well, today was a little bit better here at the USA Volleyball A2 National Program training camp. I can feel myself starting to get a little more comfortable out on the court in this environment. It's an adjustment.

I kinda struggled today hitting over the block, because I'm just not used to hitting over a block that big. I never realized how other players feel going against me. The game is completely different. The girls are focused all the time there is never a time to take a break during anything,

I've caught myself picking up more balls when covering and serving and hitting a little bit harder than normal. You can NOT be timid playing with this group. You have to go all out every time

It's time to get some rest, but I hope to have some more for you soon. I'm having a good time and am already realizing what this experience can do for me in the future.

-AW

Tuesday, May 24 - Hello from Dallas and the USA Volleyball A2 National Program training and competition where we're preparing for the 2011 USA Volleyball Open National Championships. It's been a long day, but I wanted to say hello and get this blog started.

Monday was the first day of the training camp and it was a long one. I'm pretty beat. But it was fun. We're staying in the dorms (which isn't really my cup of tea), but I guess the good thing is we're in Dallas. It's close to home (I'm from Garland, Texas) so that's better than being out in California or Colorado for me. At least I'm near my family.

We're settled in here after a long first day and it was pretty good overall. We had a rough training at 6 p.m. where things didn't really go as well as they did earlier. But we made it through. There is a lot of talent here and that's an exciting thing. I'm really looking at this as a great learning experience. I've got so much I can learn from the coaches and the other players that I can take back to Ole Miss with me as we prepare for the 2011 season.

Some of the players here have done some amazing things. We went to the NCAA Tournament last year and traveled to Cal-Berkeley for the Regional. We didn't get to play against Tarah Murrey (who helped lead Cal to the national championship match last season) but she's here this weekend and it was pretty cool to get to meet players like her from all over the country and get new perspectives on volleyball.

We'll see what happens over the next week before take the floor to compete at the National Championships. I'll keep you updated on what's happening, but for now it's time to get ready for another day of training and competition.

-AW

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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