Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up

And the Panthers are back! The women’s volleyball team is back in the gym, and I could not be more excited.

For those of you who don’t know, I’m Katelyn, junior student manager of the team. I may also be labeled as that girl who sits on the bench and catches scarves, books, pens and sometimes even heavy necklaces that Susie throws when she gets frustrated. I’ll be writing a blog every week for the team, and the many endeavors we encounter.

This last weekend of August was our first pre-season tournament in Michigan, the Western Michigan Bronco Classic. We all get on the bus, pumped and ready to go, but little did we know that by the time we got to Locust and Oakland two of people on the bus were already racing to the trash can ready to blow chunks. Our bus driver, great guy don’t get me wrong, but a little harsh on the brakes, gas and turns.

We get to the park and ride to pick up Susie and well, let’s just say, some things never change; Susie comes on the bus with more bags, suitcases and purses then I own all together. I may tease her about the amount of stuff she has but dang, I will ALWAYS envy that women’s sense of style. Touché Susie Johnson, touché.

We went 0-3 on the weekend, losing to Oklahoma, Northwestern, and Western Michigan. We put up an insane fight and took Northwestern and Western Michigan to five games. A major shout out to the entire Panther team for playing hard, and proving to everyone and themselves that they took every opportunity over the summer and in pre-season to make them better as individual players and as a team.

My blogs after today will be a little more detailed about our games and probably a little more humorous and light but not this first one.

While traveling on the bus Susie played “ESPN Films 30 for 30: Survive and Advance”, a story about the 1983 NC State basketball team and Jim Valvano. I knew of the team, and of Jimmy V, but never the in-depth story behind it all. If you have not seen the documentary, you need to, today. I don’t care your opinion on sports or basketball, it goes way deeper than that, this is a must see by everyone.

Why am I bringing this up? Because I believe that this year, this team is going to make history. I don’t know exactly what, and maybe it won’t be made into an ESPN film, but people will know about us this year, I guarantee it. How am I so sure? Because. I know I should be a lawyer right.

I believe we are going to make history because after spending more than 10 years in the volleyball world and now starting my third year at the Division I level, I can tell this team is going to stop at nothing to do the impossible. No disrespect to the teams before in the Milwaukee program, and I know that those were hard-working teams as well. This team is hungry, this team has 16 passionate women that will not stop and won’t ever give up.

And that is how I sign off today, with one of the most famous quotes in sports history said by Mr. Jim Valvano, “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”