East Tennessean

Issue date: 11/6/08 Section: Sports

Adjusting to college life and making friends came easy to Barber, "I love the team. Each player has their own personality and we never argue. It is so much fun everyday playing with a great group of girls with a similar goal in mind." This young team has no seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and five freshmen from as close as Kingsport and as far as Saskatchewan, Canada. As any other sport the pace of the game is much faster at the collegiate level, but all of these younger players have taken that in stride. "The pace of the game is much faster at times and I do have moments where I feel like a 'true freshman.' However, I put in the effort at practice to help prepare me for the games so I'm not caught off guard." Barber, along with fellow freshmen, Jamie Stancliff and Jen Neice, all earned themselves starting positions in the most recent matches. "Our team is about not making excuses and being young is the last excuse any of the girls and I would want to use," Barber said.
When asked what her favorite volleyball moment was so far, Barber replied, "When we were at our first tournament of the season, we were down 17-24 against East Carolina and somehow our team just lit up and came back to win that set. I remember the energy and the fire we had at that moment. It was the greatest feeling to not stop playing, but even more so, to finish that set on top. Every single player on the court at that time had the same burning intensity and desire to win. It was an amazing moment for the team."

< prev Page 2 of 2

Article Tools