WINGATE, N.C. --- Tusculum College senior and Morristown, Tenn. native Kassie Voelker is blogging this week from North Carolina. where the Pioneer volleyball team is participating in the 2013 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional:
Day 2 (Thursday, December 5, 2013)
"Well, today I played my last collegiate volleyball match. It was a bittersweet ending to my four years as part of the TCVB family, but I've enjoyed all the time I had. Although we did not play the way I would have liked for us to, and the results did not match those that I had hoped for, I am still grateful for the opportunity to have played in this tournament another year. I would also like to congratulate Anderson on a hard fought win and wish them the best of luck in the rest of the tournament.
I don't have much else to say about today, but I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you for all the support from those reading at home. I have been blessed to be a part of such a great Pioneer Nation family. I am very appreciative of every opportunity I have been given on this team and will always cherish the memories of my time with this team. I have made lasting friendships and learned life lessons that I know will shape my future. That's what I'm taking with me today, and after a loss on the court, I feel like I can still walk away with my head held high as a proud Pioneer."
Day 1 (Wednesday, December 4, 2013)
Today, we began our journey to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Volleyball Tournament. This is an exciting time for our team as we have an opportunity to play in this tournament for the fifth consecutive year. I have been blessed to be a part of this tournament my entire four years as part of the TCVB family. This year we have an amazing opportunity to seek redemption against the team that put us out of the Conference Tournament as we play Anderson tomorrow at 5 p.m. I have so much faith in the capabilities of this team and I am really looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish with this part of our season.
The day started off well as many fellow TC students wished us good luck this weekend. It is always a great feeling knowing we have the support of our Pioneer Nation fans! After our classes we packed up the bus and started our journey around 4 p.m. The bus was filled with laughter as the girls joked with one another, ate lunch, and sang songs together. We passed the time by watching movies like "The Hunger Games" and "Grease", and found our excitement in avoiding a near collision caused by a crazed driver. Fortunately, we have our amazing bus driver, Cliff, for this tournament :)
Around 8:30 p.m. we pulled into Olive Garden for a great team dinner. The sounds of our laughter filled the restaurant as Kaily (Weiss) hollowed out her hard breadsticks and Jaida showed us homemade dance videos. We checked into the hotel around 10 p.m. and enjoyed some free time before bed.
It was a great day and a wonderful start to this tournament. I can't wait to see what this weekend holds in store for our team!
Good night Pioneer Nation! #OHANA.
