July 7, 2008

Q. What were the tryouts for the U.S. Olympic Team like and what experiences will you take from them?

A. It was good to meet a bunch of different girls from around the country. I made friends with girls from Wisconsin, Nebraska and everywhere. Volleyball is such a small world and I knew some of the other people already, but it was fun and it was a good experience. I was happy I got the opportunity to go.

Q. With this being your final year and the team having such a good spring, what are your expectations not only for the team but also for yourself in 2008?

A. For myself, I hope to just continue to be a consistent player. For the team, I obviously hope we do better than we did last year, but since we return most of the team from last season, my expectations are a little higher than that. I think we could finish at least in the top half and hopefully the top third of the conference.

Q. What else have you done this summer to get ready for the season?

A. We all have a summer workout laid out for us as well as running and training schedule. I have also played some outdoor games just to stay in volleyball shape.

Q. With you being one of the most experienced players this season, what will your role be on the team and how will you help the younger players?

A. I'm not looking to change my role that much this season. I still want to be a hard worker on and off the court. For the younger players, I hope to lead by example so they can see my work ethic and hopefully follow that.

Q. How important was it for the four freshmen to see as much playing time they did last season?

A. It actually is going to benefit us a lot this season, with them seeing so much playing time last year. It was probably hard at first, being thrown into the mix so early, but they did a great job coming in and playing right away. I'm really looking forward to seeing how they progress into this season because they have the experience.

Q. Tell me about coach Heather Kahl Holmes and how its been playing for her the last three seasons.

A. It's been great. She's not an extreme yeller like some coaches can be, but she is really intense which is good. She keeps us intense and makes sure we are on the right path. We all really like playing for her.

Q. Since you have two home tournaments this season, what is the atmosphere like in Reynolds Gym and how does it compare to the other facilities in the ACC?

A. We don't get as many fans as the rest of the schools but since we have one of the smaller gyms, we usually fill the stands and the fans are really loud. Even with the smaller number, our fans are great and they yell and scream and really create a good home atmosphere for us. It will be great to play two tournaments there this season.