This past week was a bittersweet experience for the volleyball team. We suffered two heartbreaking five-game loses to Shawnee State and Northwestern Ohio. However, nothing was more heartbreaking than to see Gina Porto go down with a knee injury during the Shawnee State match. She ended up tearing her MCL, ACL, and meniscus, and I think all of us are having a hard time coping with her being out for the remainder of the season. Although her presence on the court will be truly missed, Gina’s heart and positivity drive us to be a better team. With that drive, this weekend we managed to hit the 1,000-win marker for the Lady Cougar program with wins over Ursuline and Houghton. I think I speak for everyone on the team when I say that it is truly an honor to be a part of this volleyball program.

On to the juniors of the volleyball team, I decided to start with #18 Abby Smith. She is an outside hitter from Centerburg, Ohio. Coach has also challenged her as a defense player as well. Abby has many talents when it comes to volleyball, an example being her wicked serve. However, in addition to her athletic talents, her encouraging spirit and cheerful attitude is what sticks with our team. Our team just would not be the same without Abby.

As I am writing this, it is weird to be calling her Abby. I think everyone on the team has developed the habit of calling her Gail. Outside of the court, Abby still carries the same cheerful attitude and in addition to that, she has a hilarious sense of humor which adds a lot of laughs to my day. Many of our inside jokes and lines start with Abby, which makes our team more connected. Academically, she is a health and physical education major. I could not have asked for a better person to be a part of our team. Abby is an amazing individual and sharing these past three years with her has definitely been an experience. A great one, that is!