Texas Tech University Athletics
Mel
December 02, 2002 | Women's Volleyball
Dec. 2, 2002
Well I cannot believe that this will be my final journal entry. I have had a blast sharing my thoughts with you over the last 4 months, and I will always cherish the great memories that I have had playing volleyball at Texas Tech. This season was an emotional battle from start to finish. We started off with a bang at the Hofstra tournament taking a strong first place. Then we experienced a few losses that lead to a somewhat difficult first half of Big 12 play. We fought hard right to the very last point in many of our matches only to lose in a thriller 5th game. The disappointment at A&M, and the heartbreaking losses against Kansas State both here and away, just to name a few. These losses were hard to take, and could certainly do a number on a team's self confidence, but we were not going to settle. We new that talent was not the issue; it was the mental aspect of the game that needed improvement. After the Nebraska match in the second half of conference, our persistence got the best of us, and we decided to turn our season around. We new what we had to do. We were a team with our backs against the wall; we were a team with a mission. We continued playing aggressively, only this time, things were starting to go our way. We pulled off big wins against Kansas, Baylor, A&M, and Colorado to name a few, and it felt great. We were having fun together building confidence match by match.
Overall, we finished an emotional season strong, and faced the difficult reality of not competing in post season.
As a senior, I have learned a lot in the four years I have been here. I have met some incredible people in my journey, many of whom will be lifelong friends. To Ann and Stacey, I love you guys, and it has been my pleasure to be on the same court with you. You are truly great friends and wonderful volleyball players. I have had the privilege of being coached by some wonderful coaches, and I have played with some outstanding players. I don't know what lies ahead, and to tell you the truth, I am a little scared.
I have been apart of a team for the majority of my life, and it makes me sad to think that I will no longer play the game that I have loved for so many years. My life is going in a completely new direction. I am marrying my high school sweetheart in a year, and I plan to attend medical school in the near future. I am terrified yet excited to begin the rest of my life. It has been a wonderful experience playing here at Texas Tech, one that I will cherish and hold close to my heart.
Lastly, I must thank my parents for their incredible support. They must of put 20,000 miles on their car this year alone. Both my mom and my dad traveled endless hours to see me play and cheer me on. They were always there to give me a big hug and a kiss when we won or lost. The two of you have been angels, and I will never forget your incredible persistance and support. I will make it up to you some day. I love you very much.
I want to thank everyone for their great support, and I wanted to wish Jessy, Kelly, Angela, Jessica, Abby, Bre, Becky, Katie, Daneen, Laura, Courtney, Nina, Deandra, and Randy the best of luck next year. I will be there to cheer you on.
Thanks for the great memories, you know who you are!!!!
- Melissa McGehee
