SAVANNAH, Ga. --- Tusculum College junior and Morristown, Tenn. native Kassie Voelker is blogging this week from Savannah, Ga. where the Pioneer volleyball team is participating in the 2012 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional:

Day 4 (Saturday, December 1, 2012)

Today the NCAA Division II Regional tournament came to a close, and unfortunately for us, we did not come out on top. I am happy to give credit where credit is due and to congratulate Wingate on the incredible season they have been having this year. I wish them the best of luck as they continue on in their season.

As for the closing of ours I can't say I'm pleased with how things ended, but I am so proud with how far we came. At the beginning of the year, we were ranked fourth in the preseason polls. We finished second in conference. We were ranked fourth in the region, and upset the top-seeded team for a chance to play in the championship match. These are things to be proud of; they are memories made with this team that I will forever cherish. All season we have been undersized and outnumbered, we've faced multiple injuries, tears and trials, but somehow we came together as a family and found a way to be triumphant. This year, we made history for our program.

To the seniors, I have so much respect and adoration for you. It's been a privilege to be with such amazing leaders on and off the court. To the underclassmen, I'm so excited for what the future holds. I truly love you girls.

If there is one thing I've learned in my life so far, it is the importance of the relationships you build in your life. I can say I have been truly blessed. I am so grateful to be a part of such a loving Pioneer Nation. I can say I'm proud to be a Tusculum Pioneer.

Day 3 (Friday, November 30, 2012)

SWEET 16!!! That's all I really have to say about today :) haha. I'm so proud to be a part of this team, and I'm so grateful to have the support of our Pioneer Nation family following from home. Tonight we defeated Armstrong 3-1 to advance into the final match in the NCAA II regional tournament. Tomorrow we play Wingate at 5 p.m. I'm so excited for this opportunity to fight with my family for a championship.

As for the rest of the day, we began with breakfast followed by some rest time. Georgia, Mel, Sam, Allyssa, and myself played some cards before departing for lunch. After lunch we walked around a pet supermarket and the world market for a bit, then we headed back to the hotel to prepare for our match. At 5 p.m. we departed for Armstrong's campus.

As we arrived, everyone was already getting hyped up in anticipation of our match. We watched the end of the Wingate/Newberry match, then proceeded to get ready for our own. By 7:30 p.m. we were ready for battle. We each knew we had to work hard and play for each other. The coaches gave us a game plan, and we executed it with a lot of heart. It was a match to remember.

Afterwords, celebration ensued. With each new girl walking into the locker room, shouts of pure joy grew louder and louder, and as the coaches walked in, we each burst into the cheer of "it's great to be a PIONEER"!!

Once things finally settled down we went to Outback for dinner and were all humbled by the love and congratulations sent our way by the Pioneer Nation. Thank you all for your support throughout this tournament :). Tomorrow is going to be a fight, but I wouldn't want to fight for anyone else. Let's do it TC!!

Day 2 (Thursday, November 29, 2012)

Today has been an amazing day in Savannah, Ga. The day started with continental breakfast at 8:30 am, and then some down time until pita pit at 12:30 pm. Lunch started out as an adventure with Bailee accidentally wearing her pants backwards and Georgia performing the pita pit dance for her food. After lunch we returned to the hotel for some down time before our match.

Around 3:00 pm we left the hotel and headed to Armstrong's campus. We caught the end of the Wingate/Lenoir Rhyne match and were happy to see the South Atlantic Conference moving forward in the tournament. I'd like to send a shout-out to Newberry for winning their match against Flagler and advancing.

After some pump-up talk in the locker room and a pre-game warm up we began our match against LMU at 5:00 pm. It was an intense match against a good opponent in which we won in five sets. I'm so proud of my team and what we've accomplished this year. Caitlyn broke her own NCAA record for most digs in a single season and our team advanced further into the tournament than we've ever done before.

After our match we picked up a quick dinner at Moe's and had some delicious cookies home made by our TC Athletic Trainer, Kendall. With dinner in hand, we returned to the Armstrong gym to watch the Armstrong/Belmont Abbey match. This match also went to five sets with Armstrong coming out victorious. After watching this match, each of us is excited for tomorrow's competition. We face Armstrong at 7:30 pm to see who will advance to play in the regional final.

Right now we're on our way back to the hotel for a good night's sleep before another big day. I have high hopes and a level of great anticipation to see what tomorrow will bring. I'm grateful to have the Pioneer Nation keeping up with us from their homes. Have a good night TC fans :)

Day 1 (Wednesday, November 28, 2012)

Today has been a great day and an eventful beginning to the NCAA Division II regional tournament for us. My teammates and I departed campus with our coaching staff around 10:30 a.m. The ride began with some delicious breakfast from our Coach Michael "Chief" Robinson.

While I ate my BK cinnamon roll, I knew this trip was off to a healthy start. As the bus started to leave the parking lot those of us in the back of the bus began laughing as Sam Underwood sang a song about her life.

The bus continued to be filled with great sounds of joyous laughter as we watched movies like "Elf" and "Joe Dirt."

We took a break somewhere along the way to Georgia for a delightful lunch at McAllister's and then were back on the road again.

Sam, Mel, Aly, and myself enjoyed the rest of the ride by creating riddles for one another to solve. The witty banter between players and coaches always keeps us entertained.

Around 5 pm we arrived at Armstong's campus and began getting ready for our last practice before tournament play. I could feel the energy and excitement coursing through all of us as we worked together to prepared for tomorrow's match against LMU. No matter the outcome of the game, I know there is no other team I'd rather be entering this tournament with. I feel blessed to be here with my TC Volleyball family.

After our practice we went to team dinner at Olive Garden. Upon entering the restaurant Meg and Danae successfully set off the fire alarm by knocking each other into an emergency exit. After a filling dinner we headed to the hotel for a good nights sleep before tomorrow's match.

Good night Pioneer Nation! #OHANA.