Whitman College Volleyball
Summer Newsletter

--------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------

Note: There is a change in the return date for Whitman volleyball players. You now need to arrive on campus on Sunday, Aug. 25. The Eligibility meeting is at 3 pm with a practice to follow. Sorry for the late change. If you are here early, no problem. Housing (for those who need it) will begin when you arrive. You should let me know when you are planning to arrive. Call me! I will also be calling you next week.

Welcome newcomers to Whitman Volleyball:

I am sure you will find the team a welcoming group. We are all very excited about the contribution you will make to our program. Thanks for choosing Whitman College and Whitman Volleyball!

From the Coach

Hello ladies. I trust your summers are going well. Mine has been a little different than the norm. With Darlene away at school (working on her master's degree in Vermont) I have spent much of my time with my girls. It has been a great experience... not always easy, but great things rarely are easy. We have camped, hiked, swam in mountain lakes and rivers. (the water can be cold up in the great white North. That is nothing new for Megan and Karna, I know.) We have spent time on the farm where my dog met his first porcupine -- not a nice experience to say the least.

In between all this family time I have made room for volleyball. I had a good experience on Orcas Island with the camp over there. I worked the camp at Gonzaga as well and made some good contacts with players and high school coaches. Finally I had a great opportunity to spend time at the NORCECA Jr. National Team Championships. This tournament featured the Junior (19 and under) National teams from USA, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Was working with team Canada's scout. What that means is that I sat with the coaching staff and talked about the other teams as they were player. I also sat in on a few practices for team Canada. What a great experience! And although no one on our team is 6'6" and 230 lbs., I think some of what we observed is transferable to our experience. The Libero rule, for instance, is being used in international play. It was good to see how teams use the position to their advantage. The tournament really pumped me up to get ready for our season.  I am definitely looking forward to your return.

I did get a chance to read a few e-mails that have been circulating. You are an inspiring bunch. Megan B., thanks for getting the ball rolling. You do lead by example. Captains, Jill and Megan, thanks also for your follow-up to Megan's first note. I am very pleased to be working with such a positive, committed pair of leaders. I hope the rest of you were inspired by your teammates expression of commitment. I know I was. As I write this, I am still recovering from an interval training session that Denise and I did together today. It feels good!

Just a few important notes about your return. You do not have to return until Sunday, Aug. 25!!! We will have the eligibility meeting at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 25, and then practice a short while after that. Our team dinner at my house will happen after the first practice. This is an important change. I thought I would give you all the extra day because we were not going to practice until the afternoon anyway. I hope this won't be a problem for any of you. If you are still planning on arriving on Saturday, no problem. You will still be able to stay in the dorms -- if, of course, that was your plan.

Our schedule is correct on the web now. Check it out. Some of the highlights are the trip to Whittier College. The schedule down there looks good. This is always a fun trip... a lot of team bonding. Our own tournament should be good as well. We will play LCSC (from Lewiston, ID), Whitworth (as our conference match), Pacific U. and Trinity Western University - that's my alma mater. If we work hard to prepare physically before we get here, and work hard to come together as a team, both performance and social cohesion, we have an opportunity to get off to a really good start. I expect that we can significantly improve on last year's results.

Well, as your summer winds down, let me encourage you to experience your life to the fullest. Have fun, work hard, play hard, rest well. Soon enough we will be back together working toward our common goal. I will be calling you all next week as well just in case you have any questions. Please don't hesitate to call me or drop me an e-mail. I would welcome the chance to chat.

See you soon!


Dean

Captains Corner  by Megan Kanaga (aka. megnificent)

Hey guys!

I hope everyone is having an awesome summer and looking forward to coming back to good old Walla Walla and starting another season of volleyball. I can't believe how soon we'll all be back training for what I'm sure will be a great season. I personally am SO excited to start the season and am really looking forward to playing volleyball with all of you. I played some beach volleyball in Australia last semester which was really fun, but there's nothing like playing with you Missionaries! I hope you're all getting psyched up for the season and thinking about how much fun we're going to have, how hard we're going to work, and how well we're going to play. I've been trying to do some running, jumping and lifting to get in shape for the season so we can be ready to jump on it! And as long as we have our mental game in place, I know we'll be able to do amazing things this season. I feel so lucky that we have a team that not only plays well together but has fun at practice, on road trips, and even hanging out together outside of volleyball. I have to say that I have had more fun in the last three years playing at Whitman than I ever have before playing in Junior High or High School, and I am really looking forward to another great season with you guys - you are undoubtedly the awesomest (is that a word?!) teammates I've ever had. Can't wait to see you guys and remember the wise words: "Let's make it work FOR us!!!"

Megan



First Week Schedule

 

Sunday, 8/25   10:00 – 1:30 Arrive on campus 2:00 Eligibility meeting 3:00 Practice 6:00 Team Dinner @ Dean’s	Monday, 8/26   9:00 – Interval Training 9:30 – Practice 11:30 – Lunch 2:00 – Practice 4:30 – Dinner 7:00 - Pool
Tuesday, 8/27   9:00 – Cardio 9:30 - Practice 11:30 – Lunch 2:00 – Practice 4:30 – Lift – Upper body 5:00 - Dinner	Wednesday, 9/28   9:00 – Interval Training 9:30 – Practice 11:30 – Lunch 1:00 – Team Build 4:30 – Dinner 7:00 – Practice – 8:00 – DVD in Sherwood 206
Thursday, 8/29   9:00 – Cardio 9:30 - Practice 11:30 – Lunch 2:00 – Practice 4:30 – Lift – Lower body 5:00 – Dinner 7:00 - Pool	Friday, 8/30   9:00 – Cardio 9:30 - Practice
Saturday, 8/31   Interval train on your own time. Check opening week schedule events and plan your workout accordingly.	Sunday, 9/1   4:30 – Inter-squad Scrimmage 6:30 – Lift – full body circuit
Monday, 9/2   4:30 – Cardio 5:00 - Practice	Tuesday, 9/3   7:00 – Home Opener vs. EOU
Wednesday, 9/4   4:30 – Interval Training 5:00 - Practice	Thursday, 9/5   TBA – Depart for Los Angeles – Whittier Invite

A few final notes:

1. We can look forward to the 'FOOD GROUPS' for the first week. Thanks to Jill, Megan, Elly and Liz for hosting. For those new to our program, you will be assigned to one of three 'food groups' each group will decide together what to eat for the week. You will shop for groceries and cook and eat together. Great team bonding, great food! Bring some meal ideas.

2. Remember... return on the 25th. This change has been noted above twice but repetition can be useful.

3. We are planning some interval training and lifting for the first week (and throughout the season) so It will be extremely helpful for you to put some training time in before the 25th.

Enjoy what remains of your summer. Call if you have any questions or just to say hello!

Go Whitman!