Aug 31, 2013

This upcoming season for the USD Women's Volleyball team promises to be one of the institution's best yet. Returning twelve players and welcoming five new girls, head coach Jennifer Petrie will lead her team to numerous victories. The month of August means double days, blisters, sore shoulders, and lots and lots of ice baths. As we continue through camp we begin to contemplate our future matches: the possible outcomes and what it will take to achieve our goals. The team looks strong with its six seniors: Jane Han, C'era Oliveira, Rachel Alvey, Chloe Ferrari, Katie Hoekman, and Taylor Hollins a transfer from the University of Miami. With such a mature team, the Toreros are hungry for an outstanding year. The team faces a fantastic schedule as we travel to Hawaii at the end of this month to take on challenging competition, including the defending national champions UT, UTEP, and University of Hawaii. The following week we fly out to Iowa to take on the Cyclones at Iowa State as well as the Illini from the University of Illinois. Victory in these preseason games will carry the Toreros a long way. Winning these big games will help the team roll smoothly into conference play. Alumni always tell current players to cherish every moment of the season and the training process because it goes too fast. Unfortunately you never begin to realize this until you become a senior and everything becomes your "last". This is my last summer camp, last preseason tournament, last chance at winning a conference title, and last time to fight in the NCAA Tournament. The Toreros are chomping at the bit to begin the season and compete against some of the top athletes in the country. We want to win every single match up and make sure we do everything we can to ensure our last is our best.

- Katie Hokeman