This past
week has been a crazy one!
We are well into the season and now games are starting
to fly by. However this past Wednesday we were stopped in our tracks and forced
to stand still for a while.
I am blessed and thank God everyday to be able to play
college basketball and enjoy all of the unique opportunities that come along
with it. If I never played basketball, I would have never been able to step
outside of the Midwest. Traveling all over is a luxury that I will never take
for granted, especially when we traveled to Salt Lake City. The BYU game was
definitely an adventure, we went from being down by 18 points to a thrilling
65-62 win in overtime.
The light-headedness of the Utah elevation, and with it
being “dead” week, this is an eventful time of the year. Although this
week has been jam-packed and busy, we play Nebraska tomorrow and I am so
pumped. We usually play them around this time of year and the battle will not
only be on the court but fighting against the stressors of “dead” week as well.
The week before final exams is one of the most stressful times of the semester,
but also the most fun. I will probably drink more coffee in the next several
days than I will in the rest of the year combined. Knowing that your teammates
know exactly how you are feeling and are also going through the same thing,
makes being a student athlete that much easier.
Right now this time is crazy stressful, but it will
soon be crazy good. In ten days and counting I can officially kiss the 2012
fall semester goodbye and start packing for our Cancun tournament! This will be
my first time out of the country and experiencing it with my team makes it that
much better. There are so many great things to come, but winter break is the
best time of year simply because you get to play basketball non stop without worrying
about what paper is due, making up lectures, or taking exams on the road. So
after all the stress in this next week, comes sweet relief. It is true that you
cannot know what good times are like unless you go through bumpy ones. One
thing that I can always count on is through the stresses of finals week or
sunbathing on sunny beaches in Mexico. Bluejays Fly Together...Go
Jays!!!
Alexis Akin-Otiko
November
27, 2012
Sophomore Sammy Jensen
While sitting at the dinner table eating my Thanksgiving
dinner, I realized that in life there is so much to be thankful for. My family,
friends, team, health, food, education, and my list could go on and on. I just
want to spend a little bit of time to express my thanks for my team, coaching
staff, family, fans, and God.
I'll start with my team. I can say with no doubt that I
definitely have the best teammates out there. Being with the same group of girls everyday for a whole season, you have to be able to love
and respect one another. With the group of girls on my team, we all understand
one another and that will make us the most successful team we can possibly be.
There are many reasons why our team meshes so well together, but one reason I
believe is that we all bring our own uniqueness and own personalities to the
team. No matter the situation, whether it being good or bad, my teammates are
there whenever needed. Over the last year and a half, my teammates have become
more than that. They are some of my closest friends here at school and seem
more like family to me than teammates. I am so very thankful for all thirteen
of them and could not imagine playing anyone else.
Next up is the coaching staff. Many times, from the stands,
you guys only see one side of the coaches, and that is often times when they
are focused in the game. Although, there are times when the coaches may
not be exactly happy with us, I think that each of us can see the reason being
they just want the best of us. The times when they are happy with us, they do show
it, but they also encourage us to continue to get better and help us make
improvements. Other than spending the days in the office, practice, and in
games our coaches do so much behind the scenes. Each one of them spends extra
hours with us shooting and watching film, figuring out ways to improve
our team, spending countless hours watching film and making scouting reports on
our opponents, planning all our road trips, and many more things that I am
probably unaware of. They for sure deserve to be thanked for all that they do
for our team.
Moving right along, I believe it is safe to say that we have
the best parents around. No matter how far away the game might be, we always
have the best crowds to support and cheer us on. Although not all of our parents
are able to come to all the games due to work, family, or obligations at home,
the parents who are able to show up are loud and loyal and we do feel the love
and support from the ones watching from home. When we have the opportunity to
travel near one of our home towns, our parents are generous enough to provide a
nice home cooked dinner. These meals are some of the best meals that we get all
year long. There is no way that any of us girls would be here at Creighton if
it were not for our parents. Growing up as little girls they saw the potential
we had and encouraged us to reach for our dreams. We will never be able to
thank our parents enough for all that they have done for us.
Here, at Creighton, I believe we have the best fans out
there. Even though all the chairs may not be filled every night, you guys bring
so much noise and excitement to our games. The games would not be half as much
fun if it weren't for your guys. Another thing I love about our fans is the
loyalty. Game in and game out, we see the same faces over and over again. Thank
you for all of the support and encouragement that you give our team throughout
the year. You guys truly are the best!
Last but not least, I want to thank God for the opportunity
that I have to be at a school like Creighton. Not only do I have the chance to
receive an excellent education here, but I also have the opportunity to be a
part of something so special like the basketball team. I thank God for my team,
coaches, families, and fans because if I had not been blessed with all of this
then I would not be where I am today. He has blessed my team and I with the
gift to play this game, and what we do with our gifts is our blessing back to
him.
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is
God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Sammy Jensen
November
20, 2012
Junior Jordan Garrison
You know basketball season has
officially begun after your first road trip as a team. This past week the
team traveled to South Dakota to take on the SDSU Jackrabbits, and let’s just
say the bus ride back is a lot better after getting a W!
Today we head back to South Dakota to
take on the USD Coyotes, and begin road trip number 2! We have had four
days worth of practices in order to prepare for a victory against USD, and we
are ready to go out and do whatever it takes to earn it! My favorite part
about this team is our competitiveness and our drive to get better.
Due
to these two factors, I think this year is going to be a very exciting one. Because we have only played two
regular season games so far this year, it’s hard to right a blog solely on game
details, so I am just going to talk a little bit about basketball in general: They say time flies when you’re have
fun, but I say, “time flies when you are doing what you love.”
It’s crazy to
think that I am already a junior in college. It seems like just yesterday
I was out on my basketball court at home playing a family basketball game with
my mom, dad, and brother. I lived for this moment every day!
Getting to come home and shoot baskets with my entire family, what more could a
girl want? Or how about all the trips across the country to play in AAU
tournaments as a kid; that’s something I will never forget. All of these
things made basketball fun for me, but did it make me love the game?
The real question is, why do I love
the game so much? To me, it’s the freedom. It’s me being able
to go to the gym at midnight, turn on my favorite song, and just shoot baskets
strictly because I want to. It’s about me being able to be a good
Christian role model in a way in which I can hopefully affect somebody’s life
in a positive manner. It’s about me forgetting any stressful thing in my
life from the time my foot steps on to the court, until the time my foot steps
off of it. It’s about getting to represent things much larger than
yourself. It’s about me building a bond with my brother that will last a
lifetime, and better yet, it’s me realizing that I have the most supportive
family I could ever dream of having. It’s the little details in life that
have become magnified by the game of basketball.
As I grow older, I will admit it
terrifies me to think that in two years I will be graduating college.
It’s weird to think that I will actually have to get a real job, because
playing the game you love no longer counts. Although this thought scares
me, I realize basketball will always be a part of my life: whether it’s
playing, watching, or even coaching.
As you can see, basketball is something
that has become very important to me, for other reasons then just the physical
aspect. It has allowed me to not only express myself, but also build
relationships with people that will last me a lifetime. It has allowed me
to be a part of what I think is the best university in the nation, and don’t
forget, it has allowed me to become a CREIGHTON BLUEJAY!!! And this ladies and gentleman is why
I love the game.
GO JAYS!
November
13, 2012
Freshman Marissa Janning
Moving to Creighton this fall got my
nerves going which surprised me. A new home away from Watertown, MN was
strange to me…especially to be in the city! Getting the hang of things didn’t
take long, though. The season is already here and I’m beyond excited, because
this is what I’ve been waiting for!
Being a freshman on a pretty
experienced team is great. I’m able to ask any of my teammate’s questions
on or off the court. Our seniors, Ally and Jasmin, are extremely helpful
and I know I could talk to them about anything. The only rough part was
during practice when Coach Flan put the three freshmen on the floor at the same
time and called a new baseline out of bounds play or certain play where we just
move around randomly. The three of us thought there was structure to it,
so we tried our hardest to pay attention. When really it
didn’t even matter what we did as long as someone steps to catch.
Everyone got a good laugh out of that on the sidelines…. Embarrassing!
The biggest difference transitioning
from high school to college academically is the amount of homework and studying
I have now. I do like the class schedule better since I start every day
after 9:00am and I’m done before 1:00pm… I could definitely get used to
that!
As far as basketball goes, everyone
is bigger, faster, and stronger. Practice and games are more physical and
the margin for error is a lot smaller. Between school and basketball I had
to figure out some kind of time management, and with the helpful teammates I
have it wasn’t hard to find answers to all of my questions!
What I like most about being on my
own is just the feeling of being independent. I mean, I love it when my
mom does my laundry… and cooks meals… and cleans my room… ha.
Being away from my parents has
allowed me to be able to make my own decisions and be disciplined on my
own. I don’t have my dad telling me, “You can’t go until you finish your
homework!” I know here that if I don’t finish all my work it’s going to come
back to bite me. The best part about being a college basketball player is
that it keeps me busy and in shape. I love to run, but I don’t think I’d
be able to motivate myself to get out and run if I didn’t have to! It’s
also great because I get to meet new people and develop new relationships with
new teammates and coaches.
My biggest challenge on the
basketball court would be that I’m not as strong as I need to be. I promise I’m
working on that. Practices and weights leading up to now were hectic at first, but
it all becomes habit after getting the hang of things.
Kicking off the season with an
exhibition game against a Minnesota team was great, but I was more excited to
play #12 Oklahoma! Playing my first game of my college career was absolutely
crazy! I wasn’t really nervous like I thought I would be, but I was more
excited, especially since it was against a very good team! The game
didn’t go quite the way we wanted, but it was a really good learning experience
for all of us, especially me!
Personally, it showed me how much
stronger I need to get and to have patience, but at the same time make good
decisions quickly.
As we move on to play SDSU, I’m
excited to bounce back from Saturday. We leave today after practice and
just traveling with the entire team is something I have looked forward to since
I committed!
November
6, 2012
Junior Riley Norman
Our season recently kicked off with
an exhibition game against Southwest Minnesota State, but I think everyone is
more excited to get into the real stuff, especially for our home opener against
Oklahoma this Saturday! I know I’m excited to lead the cheerleading on the
bench for a third year in a row, and very happy to announce that I see great
cheer potential in sophomore Taylor Johnson! Together we can definitely make
some noise. Ha!
The excitement in the air for games
to start also comes with added pressure and tension in practices, which has
definitely been the case lately. After having been on the sidelines for so long
up to this point, I’ve become much more observant. Not to reveal any secrets,
but I can tell you the exact face McKenzie Fujan makes when she doesn’t agree
with a call, I can mimic Sarah Nelson’s shoe-tongue/shoelace grab that she does
when she is out of breath, and I have seen too many variations of the,
I-just-got-elbowed-in-the-face-by-Kampy-and-didn’t-get-a-foul-called, faces to
count. I can read when Ally Jensen and Jordan Garrison are both shooting with
confidence, but also when they are frustrated about their three pointers not
going in. And it has become easy to tell when any one of the three
freshmen are playing scared, worried more about turning the ball over and being
yelled at (not that the coaches ever do that…..) rather than simply playing the
game they know how to play.
All those little things aside, I also
see the incredible potential each and every person on this team has to make an
impact this year. Returning starters Ally Jensen, Sarah Nelson, Carli Tritz,
and McKenzie Fujan have great chemistry and are consistent as usual. Alyssa
Kamphaus and Alexis Akin-Otiko both have a huge opportunity to have break out
years, and their high level of playing during the preseason has helped bring
freshman post Bri Rollerson along.
Another rookie, Marissa Janning, will
provide the team with extra ball handling and play-making skills, as she is the
first true point guard we’ve had during my time here at Creighton. Jasmin
Corbin and Jordan Garrison have been shooting lights out at practice, and believe
it or not, 5’5” sophomore Sammy Jensen has been a force on the rebounding end
with her endless effort. The third freshman, Tessa Leytem, has shown her
ability to work hard on and off the ball on defense, always making the extra
hustle plays that help make the team better. And let’s not forget Taylor
Johnson, who I like to consider my little ACL buddy. She’s been pushing hard
with rehab, working each day to get better in hopes of helping the team upon
her return next year. With all that being said, I know that we all have big
goals for the year, including another MVC championship and NCAA appearance.
Everyone in this program knows what it takes to get there, and I think we have
all the tools necessary to make it happen, so get excited fans!
As for me, after officially deciding
not to play anymore following my third knee surgery, I now have a few
alternative roles on the team that I didn’t previously have. Working alongside
Sara Cain (who does a lot more than anyone would ever know, might I add), I am helping
out with various marketing projects for the program, in addition to being an
extra hand to the coaches in the offices. I think my situation is the best it
possibly could be considering the circumstances. But I won’t lie, the past few
months I have missed playing basketball more than ever. Last spring when I went
through the process of making my decision, it really did break my heart. It was
very hard to imagine life without sports after being an athlete my entire life.
Through it all, though, I have become a stronger person and learned that there
are greater things in life than playing basketball (like being able to walk
when I’m 40!).
I hope that I can be an example to
other people who struggle with injuries or may have had to give up playing a
sport they love for any given reason. The fact that I still get to travel with
the teammates I love and be on the bench every single game cheering them on is
more than I could ever ask for. I consider myself extremely lucky to be where I
am today.
Hope to see everyone on Saturday!
October
30, 2012
Junior Alyssa Kamphaus
It’s that time of the year
again…BASKETBALL SEASON!!! It is hard to believe that we are almost finished
with our first month of practice. This past weekend the Creighton Women’s
basketball team went on its annual trip to Iowa City and played against the
Iowa Hawkeyes in a closed scrimmage. I always love this part of the season
because it is our first little trip together after battling on the court for a
month and we get a little time for some team bonding on the way there and back.
We traveled in two 15 passenger vans because of the short
trip east on the highway, so the team was unfortunately split up with seven
players in each van. I was privileged to spend my four hour van ride with the
three freshmen! It was a great time to get to know their personalities and what
kind of quirky things they do when you’re around them for long periods of time.
:)
As always, we stopped in Walford, IA
on Friday night and enjoyed another wonderful meal made by Sara Cain’s family.
The past two years we’ve gone to a haunted house or corn maze after the dinner,
but because of the early start time the next morning for the scrimmage, we all
just wanted to eat and relax. I was just happy I wouldn’t be forced to go
through yet another haunted something…
Saturday morning we scrimmaged Iowa.
It is always nice to have this opportunity as it helps pin point our weaknesses
that we need to get ironed out before the first game. In addition to that, I
know my teammates will agree, we like to scrimmage and beat up on other players
for once instead of each other. It’s nice to see a set play actually work
because the other team has no idea what you’re running. That doesn’t happen too
often in practice anymore. Overall, I felt like everyone played pretty
well and it was a nice way to get some first game jitters out of the way in a
game like situation.
Like any other team, we have a few
important goals in mind for the season. A few short term goals are to become
better at rebounding, communication, and being able to be more consistent for a
longer period of time throughout the game. Our long term goals are to, of
course, win the regular season MVC title and win the MVC Tournament
championship for the second straight year. As important as our on the
court goals are, we also take pride in our off-court goal of having a team
grade point average of 3.30 or higher this semester. I’m not sure about
other places, but my teammates are known to stress out about a test or two.
That’s what makes being a student-athlete at Creighton so unique.
Overall, I think our team has taken
huge strides in improvement within this first month of practice. You can tell
that our freshmen Bri Rollerson, Marrissa Janning, and Tessa Leytem have
adjusted to the speed of the college game and practice setting. I have noticed
that they are becoming more confident every day and are starting to make plays
and impact our team in a positive way. You can definitely tell sophomore Sammy
Jensen has worked hard on her 3-point shot and Alexis Akin-Otiko continues to
prove how good of shape she’s in with her run outs on offense and her defensive
ball pressure. TJ is working hard on rehabbing her knee and is
becoming stronger every day.
Our junior class is always an
interesting bunch. Sarah has continued to be a great team leader and
shows every day how much she’s improved her ball-handling. And believe it or
not, she has actually improved her shot even more. I could be wrong, but I really
don’t think she misses anymore. Ha! When you think of Jordan, you usually
picture her ten feet behind the three point line, right? But, she has actually
become a wicked drive-the-ball player and adding that to her arsenal makes her
very difficult to guard. The main focus for Carli and McKenzie right now is to
stay healthy because we all miss their presence on the floor when they’re
hurting.
Riley is constantly showing up to
practice every with a smile on her face, and she is a great reminder that we
should all be thankful for every time we get to step on the court.
You never know, it very well could be
your last. Think about it…
And last, but not least, our seniors
Ally Jensen and Jasmin Corbin are continuing to be great leaders. They are
constantly making hustle plays and are doing everything they can to make our
team better.
Hopefully this has made you as
excited about the season as it has made me. We all hope you can
make it out to watch us play our exhibition game (tomorrow) on Wednesday
October 31st. The tipoff is at 5:05p.m., so you will have plenty of time to run
home after the game and hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters!
Hope to see everyone Wednesday!!! Go
Jays!!!
#55 Alyssa Kamphaus
October
23, 2012
Senior Jasmin Corbin
Time is flying by. We’ve been
practicing for almost a month now and not that I’m counting or anything, but
our first regular season game is just 18 days away. I’m sure I speak for
the rest of the team and coaching staff when I say we can hardly wait for
tip-off!
Just in case you missed the 2012-13
men's and women's basketball debut at Bluejay Madness two weeks ago, I’ll give
you a quick synopsis of the night. It was an awesome environment for both teams
to experience and take in the support of Bluejay fans. Seeing our arena packed
to near capacity was pretty exciting! Our three freshmen (Marissa Janning,
Tessa Leytem, and Bri Rollerson) were pretty nervous for the event and didn’t realize
how much fun it really was until they walked through the fog to half court
during introductions and the crowd cheered them on every step of the way.
Bri Roll is a comic at heart and she
made sure to tell plenty of jokes before her name was called to calm some of
the nerves. Tessa was pretty nervous to compete in the 3-point contest for the
first time as a freshman. She knew the expectations were high after being
partnered with one of the best 3-point shooters on the men’s team, Ethan
Wragge. Little did she know that she would end up doing just fine and actually
helped shoot her duo into the semi-final round. Marissa was alongside one of
the most charismatic guys on the men’s team (Jahenns Manigat), so you could
tell she was having a blast right away. He makes it pretty tough for anyone not
to have a good time though.
The championship round was a pretty
exciting match-up between our very own Jensen sisters! Sammy Jensen was paired
with freshmen sharp shooter Isiah Zierden and Ally Jensen was with All-American
Doug McDermott. They both held their own by hitting nine and ten shots
respectively to kick off a competition that was close the entire minute. In the
end though, Zierden drained a shot at the buzzer to win it with a score of
18-17!
The slam dunk contest was a treat to
watch as always and both teams scrimmages went well. Half of our team was super
excited to show off our new blue away jerseys and the men showcased a team
minus local star Antoine Young. A new season is here…
The night not only made official
practice season a little more real for both teams, but it also marked the
beginning of fall break for all of the students here at Creighton. While most
students here go home for the week, all of the student-athletes are here
practicing the sport we love. My week consisted of lots of sleeping, eating,
and practicing! That’s not a bad life, right? Ha!
The down time has been nice though.
None of us were stressing about classes and we were all pretty focused on
simply getting better on the court. We had a couple practices late in the week
where we really looked good as a team!
The week off also gives us a chance
to do some fun things together like go to soccer games, movies, eat out at some
fancy restaurants that none of us can afford to go to on a normal day, and of
course make frequent trips to the tanning salon! It’s that time of year where
we’re all getting a little pasty!
One of the other highlights to the
week was a trip to Holy Family Church in North Omaha. My teammates and I were
truly humbled by the time spent with kids. We packed close to 500 brown
bag lunches for the less fortunate in our city. A few of us actually got to
hand the sandwiches out to the people waiting in line that afternoon. It was
truly a sight to see how thankful and appreciative these people were. I’m sure
I speak for the entire team when I say it was a wonderful opportunity to be
involved in something like that in our community.
Ultimately, the week was a huge success.
We had a great break and took advantage of every opportunity to build on our
team chemistry and improve on the court. This week has allowed us to lock
down and give the coaches plenty of time to evaluate our performances as
individual players further and also work on what we think we need to improve on
individually. We look forward to seeing everyone on Halloween and for sure on
November 10th when we tip-off for the first time this regular season against
Big 12 opponent Oklahoma University!
October
16, 2012
Sophomore Taylor Johnson
I’m not sure if you all know by now, but I’m going through a
difficult time. After what was probably one of the best years of my life last
season, I am now going through one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced,
bouncing back from a torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus is for sure the toughest thing
I’ve ever been through.
So, let me take you back to how it
happened…
I was practicing on my own this
summer in July with a local high school team and we were in the middle of a
simple one on one drill. I was driving to the hoop and was going to stop
for a pull up jumper, but instead, I heard my knee pop twice and it gave out
underneath me. I’m not going to try to be all tough and say I shrugged it off
or didn’t notice anything, because in fact, once I heard the “pop” I was on the
ground in tears. There was no contact whatsoever. I just jumped up and before I
landed, I knew something had gone completely wrong. My coaches instantly were
off the bench and ran to see if I was okay. The worst part is that I had to
drive thirty minutes home in tears, with my gas light on, praying to God that I
wouldn’t run out.
It took a while for the doctors to
tell me all that I had done to my knee, but once the MRI was complete and my
results were in, I was diagnosed with a torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus. It was
something every player dreads to hear, but that was my reality and I am now
getting through it.
With the bad news and surgery over,
I’ve been in the training room two to three times a day icing and doing rehab.
Every day we practice, I’m in the gym an hour before building up strength in my
quads and working on my range of motion. Two or three times a week I’m in the
pool doing even more work outs from never ending kick board work outs to form
running in the deep end. I have just started on leg press with weight this week
and pretty soon our trainer is letting me run on the elliptical, which is
really exciting because I haven’t moved faster than a walk in three months now.
Despite what is going on with me, the
season must go on! We have an exciting group and the team is looking good after
a couple weeks of practice already. It’s funny to watch some of the girls
practice because you pick up on their nervous habits that I didn’t recognize
when I was on the court playing with them. Jordan always wipes the bottoms of
her shoes with her hands and then on her shorts, and Sarah tries not to smile
when she makes a big play. What drives everyone nuts is when Kenzie goes up for
a layup and kicks her feet out, but she can’t exactly help it. Ally and Sammy
both tend to have the same facial expressions, but what separates the two is
how Ally sticks her tongue out when she’s dribbling on offense sometimes.
My favorite is when Kampy says sorry and apologizes after something she did
wrong or if she accidentally hurt another teammate. If Jazz messes up or
makes a silly mistake, she never fails to clap her hands and yell a little.
Being on the side line gives me a whole other perspective to the game of
basketball and my teammates for sure.
It will be hard going to the games
this year and not suiting up, but I will be there a hundred percent of the way
cheering for them and hoping for the best. They have been the best teammates
with helping me with my injury and couldn’t have asked for more.
Basketball and rehab isn’t the only
thing keeping me busy these days. I’ve got a full load of nursing classes. In
order to stay on top of things in class, I have to start studying a little over
a week in advance for one test. One test is 50 questions and covers material
from six different chapters. Talk about stressful…
And that brings me to my new hobby…
To get rid of some stress one day, I
sat down and just started doodling on a pair of shoes. Eventually, I covered
both pairs with random sayings and pictures. Instantly my team thought they
were pretty cool and wanted me to design different pairs for them, so of course
i did. I first did Jordan’s, then Marissa’s, then Carli’s and even Coach Moore
had me make her a pair. The shoes have become a huge hit . J
What I really enjoy is the art aspect
of it, I haven’t gotten to take any art classes at Creighton yet but I’m
definitely looking forward to it. This year is going to be an eventful year and
I’m excited to get season under way. I think we’re all looking forward to a
back to back title and we’re working hard already to get it. It’s going to be a
great year to be a Blue Jay!
October
9, 2012
Senior Ally Jensen
“Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress . Working together is success.” - Henry Ford
“whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and
not for men” - Colossians 3:23
Can you believe it’s already the 2012-2013 season?! It seems
like yesterday we were boarding that charter fly to head to Norman, Oklahoma to
take on 3rd seeded/14 ranked Saint John’s in the first round of the NCAA
tournament. Another post season and summer has come and gone and it’s time to
start the new year.
This preseason was filled with individuals, lifting
workouts, conditioning, and pickup. Classes have been in full swing with
midterms this week. We are already half way through this semester! Midterms are
not enjoyable at Creighton, but the week to follow (FALL BREAK) is worth it!
Getting a whole week off from school is really nice. Not only is it good to get
a break from classes but it is nice to have a whole week devoted to getting
better on the court. Our week will not actually be much of a break, however. It
will be filled practicing almost every day, watching film, fitting in extra
shooting workouts, lifting, and community service projects. Then, the remainder
of our time will be spent SLEEPING, watching some movies, homework (only some
of us), and eating at good restaurants and hosted dinners throughout Omaha.
We were excited to officially begin practice October 1st.
Although we haven’t been perfect, I love the fight and energy this team brings
every day. Everyone from the players to the coaching staff have a lot of
passion and excitement for this season. We have a lot of work to do before our
first tipoff against Oklahoma, but are making strides and have the right
attitudes to improve. Flan keeps reminding us that we are only as good as our
weakest link. One of the things I love best about this time is how we all rely
on and have confidence in one another. This team is talented from top to
bottom, and this team is unselfish from top to bottom. It doesn’t matter who
makes the shots or gets the glory, all we want to do is win. It makes for a
very fun and unique practice setting and team environment when 14 girls
unselfishly put one another before themselves to make the team better.
One of my teammates tweeted the other day, “new team, same
dream!” I think that fits us PERFECTLY! We lost a great senior, basketball
player, and teammate in Danae last year. But, we gained three young, energetic,
and talented freshmen. We were all very sad to hear we lost Taylor Johnson to
an ACL tear this summer. She is working hard to rehab her knee and will
accompany
Riley Norman as one of our biggest cheerleaders this season.
With losing another great teammate to the alumni list, the daily reminder of
injuries like TJ and Riley, and the reality of being a senior, this season has
a special anticipation. I have enjoyed every season here at Creighton for its
own reasons. I am especially excited to get the opportunity to play for Flan
and this university one more time. Each day I get to lace up my sneakers and
strap on my ankle braces, I feel blessed for one more chance to be a better
teammate, compete at practice, and learn from my coaches.
Everyone can agree that time goes so fast! I still remember
crystal clear the day my parents helped me move into Kiewit hall. I feel
grateful to have great teammates in the past for guidance and encouragement but
hope to be a great leader and example to my younger teammates and friends this
season.
Speaking of younger players, let me be one of the first to
introduce our freshman class this year…
Tessa is a 5”11 lefty guard from Dubuque. It’s always great
to have another Iowa native on the team! She has the cutest smile, is an
extremely hard worker, and the sweetest of teammates. On the court, she has a
smooth jumper, is super long on defense, and can run forever.
Marissa is also a lefty guard that can run forever! She is
from Minnesota and was pretty much a stud as a high schooler. If you want to be
her friend, just bring her ice cream. She has ice cream twice a day (no joke)
and doesn’t gain a pound! Don’t let her slender build fool you though, she can
rebound, guard, and score with the best of them.
Bri is our freshman in the low post. Graduating from Omaha
Central, she still gets to hear her schools marching band and see high school
friends frequently. She has worked extra hard this preseason to try to stay up
with the experience of our other three posts. She is funny and sweet, but
really scary when she blocks your shot into the wall (which has only happened
to me like 4 or 5 times).
You have the opportunity to meet them and the rest of our
team this Friday night at Bluejay Madness! There will be a three point contest,
dunk contest (men’s team only, sorry), scrimmages, and autographs. Admission is
free so you have no excuse not to be there! It is a fun event and we would love
to have the Ryan packed!!
Hope to see you soon! With love, Ally
