 |
|
By Marisa Doran
Senior-to-be, Outside Hitter
After a very exciting first day in Australia, we were looking forward to finally being able to sleep in. With our alarms pushed back, the day began with a quick breakfast and then a meeting with the team at the beach. We are so lucky to be staying walking distance from the clean white sand. Blue skies and a warm sun welcomed us for a dip in the ocean. We spent about 20 minutes stretching and swimming while diving into waves. If only this could be an everyday routine for us in New Mexico!
We reluctantly left the beach to eat lunch together and then met by our bus ready for some fun! A scenic drive by the coast led us to Surfers Paradise. Pauline impressed all of us with parallel parking our bus and then we were free to explore the beautiful beach town. Many restaurants, coffee shops and clothing stores lined the coast. A souvenir shop seemed to be of the most interest as it held many styles of boomerangs, sweatshirts, and coffee mugs with Aussie style. We returned to our bus with our gifts, some for family and friends, and of course a few for ourselves.
After a quick snack and break back in our rooms, we were ready to play some volleyball! We hopped back in our bus and drove to King’s Christian College for a serve and pass session and then a scrimmage. We played four sets against Queensland club with a couple different lineups in place. Many young kids and some families cheered in the stands and were excited to talk with us after. The sun had already set by the time we returned to the bus. Our drive back consisted of an acapella sing a long that rivalled any performance from Pitch Perfect. After a quick meeting for dinner, sleep was the next thing on each of our minds. We are ready definitely ready for more Australian adventures!
In their first volleyball action of the trip, the Lobos swept four sets against the Queensland Club Team, winning 25-14, 25-15, 25-10, 25-16.
“The team came out serving exceptionally tough and it carried through the match,” head coach Jeff Nelson said. “I was pleased with our play at the net particularly the strong play of both middles. Everyone got some good playing time and it was a solid first match.”
Fans can follow the team’s Facebook page (University of New Mexico Volleyball) and Twitter (@UNMVolley) to keep track of the Lobos during their trip.