California is the place to be. Our experiences, as a volleyball team, in California are ones in which I can say I was truly blessed to be apart of. Our team had been waiting for this trip since we booked the tournament last year, and it was as fun-filled as we thought it would be.

Monday was the lovely traveling day filled with euchre games, ipods, and built-in TV’s in the seats. Yes, I said built-in TV’s.

Tuesday was our first day off to experience California life. We headed to Santa Monica Pier to lay on the beach and walk around the local shops. It was an exciting day, especially for me, because I had never been to the beach before and I have to say that getting a mouthful of salt water from the ocean is truly an experience. Everything about Tuesday was gorgeous including the weather, the beach, and much more.

Wednesday, we drove through Beverly Hills and shopped on Rodeo Drive. Well, we didn’t do much shopping, more like gazing. We then headed to our next stop, the boys soccer game, where we cheered loudly for our team. Our first game in California was that night. We lost in five games to The Master’s College.

Thursday was another day off for us girls. We went shopping at a local mall before heading to the boys’ second soccer game of the week.

Friday began our weekend tournament at Point Loma Nazarene University. Our first game was a victory, beating Oregon Tech in four games. Afterwards, we drove back to the hotel to rest before our next game that night. Little did we know what an exciting game it was going to be. Vanguard was ranked No. 10 in the NAIA poll, so we knew what kind of team we were up against. We lost the first game, won the second, were down 24-18 in the third and then pulled an AMAZING comeback and won, and finished Vanguard off in the fourth. Coach has always told us that no matter how much we are winning or losing in a game that the next point matters and that was definitely proven in that match. Through all the excitement and exhaustion, we made our way outside in time to watch the sunset over the ocean. That moment was truly surreal and one I will remember forever.

Saturday was our final day in California and we faced two more opponents. We won our first match against Embry-Riddle and lost in a close match against No. 8 ranked Point Loma. After the game, it was off to the airport where we spent three and a half hours on cold, hard concrete waiting to check in before our 6 a.m. flight back to wonderful O-H-I-O!