SAC Student-Athlete Insider: Volleyball

Volleyball student-athletes are back on campus gearing up for the start of classes and the 2012 season.  Recently, Anderson student-athletes Shannon Gillespie and Hailey Pittman discussed the upcoming year with theSAC.com.

What is the best part about being back on campus for the start of classes and practice? 

Gillespie: "I am most excited to get back and see my teammates and meet my new ones. I love the anticipation of getting to see how all of us will click on the court and to see how everybody has improved over the summer. The best part about returning for classes is getting to go more in depth in our fields of study and putting in more work towards our future careers."

Pittman: "The best part about being back on campus for me would be that we get to be reunited with all of our friends and teammates from all over the country.  We get so used to being with each other all the time that having to spend so many months apart is really hard." 

What match are you most looking forward to this season? 

Gillespie:  "Of course, I am looking forward to the rivalries against all the teams in our conference, but I am most excited about playing Wingate. They are fantastic competitors and I look forward to the challenge. The SAC has been dominated by them for a while now."

Pittman: "The game that I am looking forward to the most this season would be our match against Wingate.  Wingate is the team to beat every year.  Our team plays our very best when we are up against strong opponents and I think that it would be very exciting and a huge accomplishment if we could pull out a win."

How do you plan to serve as a leader on your team and on campus this season? 

Gillespie: "Coach has chosen me as a captain for this season and that is an honor I do not take lightly. I take it upon myself to be focused and successful and to lead by example in both the classroom and on the court. It is my job to give every ounce of myself on the court, not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well, for my team."

Pittman: "My hope for this season is that all of the girls on our team can be leaders in not only the athletic community, but the Anderson campus as a whole.  I really want our team to have Christ shine through us on and off the court.  Our team is full of great Christian ladies, and I think that we can make a difference and be an example for other teams in the way we act during competition." 

What's something interesting people don't know about your team? 

Gillespie: "Our team is very spread out as far as where we come from. We have girls from South Carolina, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas, California, Indiana, and Puerto Rico. Our personalities are all so different but, and it's probably not a secret to those who have seen us on campus, we are inseparable."

Pittman: "One thing that most people do not know about our team is that the majority of us are big Bachelor and Bachelorette fans.  Each week on Monday nights we like to get together to watch it.  The biggest surprise of all is that our coach is a big fan too.  He watches it every week and it becomes a major topic of discussion among us."

Did you do anything exciting this summer? 

Gillespie: "This summer, I spent most of my time working out and lifting, but I did get the opportunity to go to Orlando as a coach for the AAU national tournament. It was such a fun experience being on the other side as a coach instead of being a player and it was a way for me to affirm that teaching and coaching really is God's plan for my life."

Pittman: "The most exciting thing I was able to do this summer was play in a mud volleyball tournament for the CASA charity in Alabama.  This charity helps the elderly and disabled to continue living in their homes. I have been fortunate enough to go play for the past two years and plan to continue going every year. It is a fun, but extremely dirty experience."