Melody's Blog : Volleyball

Nicaragua

MelodyA — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:37:00 GMT

Hello everyone!

I know it's summertime and ya'll haven't heard from me in a long time, but I thought I'd let ya'll know how awesome our tour went in Nicaragua! We won three of our five matches, ate a lot of great food, and had more fun than we ever imagined! I could spill all the details here, but I think ya'll would enjoy hearing about it from the rest of my teammates too. If you go to the Butler Volleyball page and read our day by day blog! Here are a few pictures I took during the trip!

I took this while we were waiting to get on the plane This is us stretching before the game Chloe finally caught the frog!

This was my favorite dish! A Nica Tamale! We had a camp day with local kids We had so much fun with them!!

There are more pictures on the Butler Volleyball page and I' putting up more in my pictures section. I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Go Dawgs!!

Melody

This is What College is all About

MelodyA — Tue, 06 May 2008 13:33:00 GMT

So finals are finally over!! I am almost done packing! I just can't contain the excitement for Nicaragua! I know I'm using far to many exclamation points in a row, but I can't help it! I'm so excited!!

The team's worked so hard to raise the money for the trip and we finally get to go. It just won't seem real until we get to Managua on Thursday. I just sat back the other night with my best friend at Denny's and just thought about this past year, especially this semester. We just thought about all of the fun we had and all the hard work we did. Sure there were some downs with the ups, but the good totally out ways the bad.

I just can't believe all the things I did this year. Somethings I planned, somethings just happened, and everything made me the bulldog that I am. I've met new friends, don't see some as often as I used to, and got a little closer with others. This year has been a really big turn point for me. I have a better idea of what I want in friends, academic goals, career goals, post graduate plans, and understanding Melody just a little more. I mean, isn't that what college is supposed to be about?

With classes finally done, I am finally Junior status! I'm half way done. It's this exciting and scary feeling all at the same time. I can't believe commencement is only two years away for me! I used to be a little of afraid of going out into the real world, but after this year I'm really starting to look forward to it. I can't wait till I don't have to take another midterm or final! I'm all for continuing the learning process throughout life, but please...NO MORE TEST!

I'll still be writing during the sumer, because ya'll want to know how Nicaragua went, right? I just wanted to say thank you to everyone's who has read my blog this year. This was a lot of fun, and I hope the incoming freshmen and other prospective students found it helpful. If you see me around campus (which you totally will) don't be shy! COME SAY HI!! It will really make my day if you say hi! I hope everyone has a happy and safe summer! Adios for now Amigos!

GO DAWGS!! BARK BARK!!

Melody

Here are a few highlights of the year. My camera is finally working! ( a little to late...I know)

House sitting with 5 Great Danes! Picking up items for the Garage Sale! Meeting Coach Boone!

My team mate Krystal's wedding! Hanging out with my best friend in the whole world! Swing Dancing at Fountain Square!

Time to get Down to Business

MelodyA — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:10:00 GMT

We had our last workout on Tuesday, and we don't have practice for Nicaragua until after finals. I'll still hit the weight room a few times before then, but now it's all about the student side of being a student athlete. Today after I shoot my last story for advanced reporting they're having the student athlete's appreciation event between two baseball games. I hope I have a chance to make it. They give out awards such as: MVP of each team, the community service award, and the team with the highest GPA. The weather has been so gorgeous outside that I hope I can make it.

Just a few More Weeks Until Nicaragua!

MelodyA — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:27:00 GMT

So we're just a few weeks away from our service trip in Nicaragua and Costa Rica! We are so excited especially with finals coming around we all know how much we need this trip, and a break!

The garage sale we had last weekend was a huge success, and we're so close to almost raising the rest of the money for the trip. This weekend we're playing again and doing another fundraiser.

We're working at a children's carnival in Plainfield, and since the weather has been so nice lately we're glad that we can work outside. This weekend's tournament is at IPFW and it's our last one before we go on the trip. Next week we stop practicing and it's just in time so we can focus on finals.

New Year, New Semester!

MelodyA — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:04:00 GMT

This break went by so fast. It seems like I was packing to come home yesterday, and now I'm on my way back in just two days! We scheduled an event for volleyball fund raising so I'm going back a little early. It's fun being there when a lot of students aren't because usually it's just athletes and international students that are hanging around for. This time there are going to be a lot more people because I believe it's the end of rush week for the greeks.

I don't know a lot about greek life. If you have questions and are curious about greek life check out Christina's blog!

This semester is going to be a busy one. Between fund raising for the volleyball team's trip to Europe, class, and trying to find a new a job. I'm sure I'll have lots to tell ya'll about this semester. I'm glad that I'll have a little more time to myself because practice is in the morning, so that leaves me more time to write and answer all of ya'lls questions. Hopefully my camera will stop acting up so I can post some pictures of my adventures that await me, lol!

Everyone is going crazy down here because of LSU's victory over Ohio State (38-24)! As we say here in the Big Easy "Lalssez les bon temps rouler." That's creole for "let the good times role!" Well I'm sure they certainly will for me and my friends this semester!

Freedom!!

MelodyA — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 01:04:00 GMT

I'm so excited that all of my finals are over!!! I can't wait to go home and spend Christmas with my family!! I'm even more excited because I'm finally getting a car!! I still have to stick around Butler a few days, but without any work I can manage it. The only thing I really have to focus on over the break is my winter workout.

This workout is really important because it will be a big factor in how well I perform during the spring season. We're all working extra hard this spring season, because we are going to play in Europe in May!!! We're so excited!! One of our teammates is from Belgrade, Serbia and we want to go there so her family can see her play. We don't just stop at Serbia. We get to visit a few other countries like Italy and Bosnia as well!

We've been brainstorming fund raiser ideas for a while and came up with a few good ones. We're selling some bunt cakes and cookie dough through a company and we're asking for donations as well. The cookie dough is selling very well, and I even got a few donations. We have a few more ideas lined up for when we get back so we just have to see if we can really raise the money to go!

This whole non-stop study is catching up with me. I'm going to sleep so I get up and workout in the HRC tomorrow. Hope everyone's last few days of school this semester is going well. Today is the last day of Hanukkah, so happy Hanukkah!!

Go Dawgs!! BARK!! BARK!!

Melody

This is What the Season is all About!

MelodyA — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 22:25:00 GMT

The Holiday season is upon us!! This is one of my favorite times of the year, despite the cold! In the spirit of the season the volleyball team decided to do a few projects to give back to the Indianapolis community!! I love doing stuff like this, especially as a team.

This week we helped with a program the local police do for grade school kids to expose them to different sports. We went on two different days and it was a lot of fun!

But we didn't stop our conquest of Christmas cheer there! The team decided to donate toys to the toy drive that channel 6 was having. One of our assistant coaches and a few of us went so they could tape us doing it! I was particularly excited because I love news stations! Our coach is friends with the producer in charge of the toy drive, so I got to make a good contact about a job at the station. She was really excited to meet me when she heard I want to work in the industry!

Overall this week was a great week for sharing the Christmas spirit!! It even worked out for me as well!! We're planning on doing more clinics when we get back from break. I'll let you know if we're doing one near you!! Does anyone have any suggestions for groups or organizations that need a some help? Let me know in a comment so that others can see them as well.

Go Dawgs!! Bark Bark!!

Melody

I am so Not feeling Global Warming Right Now!

MelodyA — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:25:00 GMT

I was so excited about getting to go back home for break. You know the usual is always great seeing my family, friends, and most importantly the 80 degree temperatures! Unfortunately only two out of three of those were very consistent this Thanksgiving break. It was warm for two days, and then it was cold. Maybe not Indianapolis cold but 59 degrees on Thanksgiving is cold on the Gulf Coast!

Other than the weather, it was great to be home and see my family and friends! Thanksgiving really spoiled me for my dad's home cooking. It's just not the same eating at Atherton these past few days. Good thing I have training to keep me focused for these next few weeks. Just because season is over doesn't mean that it's over for us. It just means we don't get to play volleyball that much, now we get to run, lift, run, jump train, and oh did I mention run? Ha ha ha

Oh well, like I said, it keeps me focused. After this week I can work out on my own until January so that will be nice. Our team, both tennis, and golf teams have teamed up to adopt a family for Christmas this year. It's one of the big community service projects the whole athletic department does. We're supposed to go shopping for the family next week so that should be exciting! Service is a big part of the values Butler stands for. What are some community service projects ya'll do?

Go Dawgs!! Bark!! Bark!!

Melody

End of the Line...

MelodyA — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 02:07:00 GMT

We fought hard tonight, but it's the end of the season as of tonight. We finished 5th in conference, but lost in the quarter finals of the Horizon League tournament. We played Valpo and gave it our best. We were all sad that we lost, but we couldn't help but laugh on the bus at probably one of the most embracing moments in my laugh (it was also the funniest too).

During the first game of the match, yours truly went in for a substitution. I didn't realize among all of the excitement that I had stood in water that was spilled on the floor. I ran up to the line and tried to stop when my leg slipped from under me. I then found my rear smacked against the floor in front of the whole gym and everyone who was watching on the world wide web on the Horizon League Network. I was extremely embarrassed, but couldn't help but laugh myself.

We might have lost tonight, but I know next year we will be better than ever!!! I'm going to really miss our Captain Michelle, but since she's a pharmacy major she'll still be around Butler for two more years. Everyone else is coming back on the team so we're all excited to see what the future has in store for us.

Thanks for the all the fans who supported us this season. It's going to be so exciting come next fall, and these dawgs are going to be ready!!!!

Go Dawgs!!! Bark Bark!!!

Melody

Success = Fun

MelodyA — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 02:05:00 GMT

Wow, finally a second to breathe after all of this excitement! We won both games this weekend. This puts us in a great position for our conference rankings. The information on the horizon League page isn't updated yet, but I want to say these two wins puts us in 5th place! Friday's game was a really big deal because it was out "volley for the cure game." It's a game that we use to raise *** cancer awareness.

This is a really special cause to me because one of my volleyball coaches in high school is a survivor of *** cancer. During the month of October I really think about her. It's a big deal for the team also because one of our recent alumna's mom is a survivor as well. She's actually the mom of the player who sent me close after Hurricane Katrina happened. Her and her daughter have always been part of my support system here at Butler, and I've always been really grateful for them being here for me. The feminist group on campus D.E.M.I.A even decorated Hinkle in pink awareness decor.

The night was even better after we beat UIC in 3 games, and after we beat Loyola today this weekend could really one get better if my projects would disappear! Oh....that reminds me I better try to finish up my accounting project due next week. I need to finish up a group project for my Electronic Journalism class. We need to cut some tape together in the edit bays in Fairbanks tomorrow. I better finish up this script so we can match it with the scenes we want.

Don't forget we can support the fight against *** cancer all year long by going to The *** Cancer Site. The sites very useful in helping other important charities that need your support as well. Happy clicking, and hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!

GO DAWGS!! BARK BARK

Melody

Family

MelodyA — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 17:52:00 GMT

I'm so excited about this weekend, because my dad is coming up to see me!!! I don't get to see him or the rest of my family that much so I get really excited. It's even better that we have a game this Sunday, so he gets to see me play too!! I can't wait till he gets here tonight. I've planned a really fun weekend so he can see all the fun I get to have at Butler!! We're going to the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) on Saturday. I might try and working in some shopping lol . I still haven't thought of anything else that we can do, but I know we'll think of something. I'm so excited that I can't wait to see him when the team gets back from the Valparaso game tonight!! That reminds me I better hurray up and get to Hinkle.

Go Dawgs!! BARK BARK!!

Melody

Surprise Surprise!!

MelodyA — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:39:00 GMT

This week is the reading break before midterms, and usually the team is away traveling for conference. This weekend we're in Cleveland, Ohio to defeat Cleveland State and Youngstown. We also did a little contest of pumpkin decorating. Everyone decorated a pumpkin of someone else on the team, and the rest of the team had to guess who it was. It was a lot of fun decorating a pumpkin that looked like our setter, but the winner was one of our outsides who had yours truly! I can't wait until I get pictures up of it. It really looks great!!

That wasn't the end of our fun. Our coaches surprised us with tickets to the Cavaliers and Pistons game! We had so much fun watching the game (and drooling over Lebron James )it was one of those big surprises that our coach likes to do for us. It really lets us know that she appreciates our hard work and time.

This weekend starts the second round of conference and it's a really important one for Horizon League volleyball. If we win both games we can really change our standings in the league. We've really improved and made some changes, so hopefully tonight it will pay off. I better hurray up and head to the conference room to go over the game plan tonight. If you want to see the web cast of this game go to the Horizon League website.

Go Dawgs!! BARK BARK!!

Melody

A Much Needed Break

MelodyA — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 20:18:00 GMT

Everyone always gets excited about Labor Day because of the three day weekend. I can assure you that a four day weekend is even better. A four day break from the academic schedule was much needed. I knew having a schedule with classes only on Monday through Thursday had advantages. I was thinking more along the lines of not missing class due to all the traveling I do for volleyball, maybe it could be a day I could catch on long term projects when we were playing at Hinkle, or (morel likely what it will be) a day I can sleep in until I have to go to the gym.I had totally forgot how it would make me smile even wider when a break would come around.

I was also looking forward to our home season opener, the Butler Invitational. I unfortunately got a pretty bad head cold so I didn't play that much, but we played really well. Friday night's game was the best. Not just because we won, but because it was the Sisters in Sport game. I really look forward to that game every year.

One of the biggest reasons I admire my coach Sharon Clark is that she always tries to give back to the community. For the past few years she has made our first game an event called Sisters in Sport. It is meant to encourage young female athletes from different public schools in the area to go to college. Some of us get to talk to the girls about different ways to pay for college, whether it be through grants, athletic scholarships, or academic scholarships.

After we beat Tennessee Tech University I thought about how I used to look up to college athletes like these little girls do. They were so excited after the game, that they wanted autographs, and they gave us each a poster that they made for us before the game. I still have mine hanging in the locker room to remember them. I smile when I look at it, because it helps me to remember my dreams and goals that I have. Sharon said something very powerful that night, and I'll never forget it for the rest of my athletic career. It really put a new meaning to why I play this game that I love:

" Remember all the little girls who want to be you and who look up to you. That's really what our victories are for. It's not just the women in this room. It's all for the ones out there..."

Saturday we lost against Utah Valley and Northern Illinois, but I was proud that we played so well. We just learn from our mistakes and continue to keep working hard on the road to victory.

Before our scrimmage against Marion College on Labor Day I took Sunday as a day of total relaxation. I slept in and grabbed some food from Atherton Union and spent a few hours listening to music, reading my bible, and praying in Holcomb Gardens. I felt so at peace on such a beautiful day, and I couldn't believe that everyone doesn't get to meditate in such a beautiful area. I spent the rest of the day with my friend and just enjoyed another peace filled Sunday.

After we beat Marion College on Labor Day, some of my teammates and I laid out on the mall and finished some more homework. Later on that day we went to the Hawaiian Luau the athletic department put on for the athletes.

It's always tons of fun when the athletic community gets together. We really make it a point to go to each others games and meets, but it's nice to just get to hang out with each other when we're not in game mode. It's was a great way to end a long Labor Day weekend. It was funny when I called my parents later, because they thought I might be a little down about being away from home during the holiday. I told them I love them and I miss them, but I was having so much fun this weekend that I really felt at home during the holiday.