Happy October, everyone! We kicked off the first weekend of October with our MVNU Invitational. The tournament started on Friday with a win over Bryan in four games. Then, we got to get a little practice in with Walsh losing in five to them. Although it was a loss, we gained experience and knowledge of what runs their team so we can be better prepared when we face them later on in the season. Saturday morning, we defeated Roberts Wesleyan in three games then faced a very talented Bethel team and won in three. I think this weekend was a great experience for our team. I felt like we accomplished a lot and grew stronger and more competitive as a team this weekend. As always, I have to applaud all of you fans for your support not only this weekend, but throughout this season as well. Seeing your faces means more to us than you will ever know.

Next in the introductions is #8 Gina Porto. Gina is a sophomore middle hitter from Tipp City, Ohio. She has a presence on the court. Her strong arm coupled with that infamous grunt has established her as a major threat to all of our opponents. Gina posed a challenge for me when she first came to MVNU because for some reason I found it difficult to connect on certain sets with her. I think it is safe to say that for the most part we have worked through it and she is one of my go-to hitters.

Gina has the biggest heart I have ever seen. Coming in as a freshman, she was giving more encouraging words than I have ever seen in my four years here. She wants everyone to excel at what they do best and succeed. Gina is a very caring individual who has an extremely contagious laugh. When she laughs, believe me you laugh, too. Gina is a Biology major, so she is a very busy girl as a college student. Sometimes she brings her studies into practice as she is collecting bugs for a project. It is amusing when practice is paused so Gina can scoop up a bug. I adore Gina as a teammate and a friend. I am honored that I have gotten to share memories with her these past two years.