Bump! Set! Spike!

When I transferred to a new middle school in 6th grade, all my new classmates were hard-core volleyball enthusiasts. They’d been playing in P.E. classes for 5 years already, and I’d never so much as learned the difference between a serve and a spike. I spent my entire middle school career being completely intimidated and scared to death that I might actually have to play volleyball with these kids.

In high school, it was more of the same. I’d avoided the sport for so long, that I had probably become the only girl at my school who honestly didn’t know how to even begin to hit the ball. So, I also spent my entire high school career being completely intimidated and scared to death that I might actually have to play volleyball with these kids.

Then this summer in Williamsburg, people here became really gung-ho about playing volleyball on the sand courts outside the Bryan Complex dorms or in front of Yates. Yikes. I was 21 years old and STILL scared to death of the game!

But, I sucked it up and decided to get over my fear of total embarrassment on the court. I agreed to give volleyball a shot, and I discovered it was a blast!

We began getting together for volleyball as often as we could this summer, even in the often suffocating humidity. Games were always completely laid back and probably included more laughing than actual play. We played into the fall semester too, on nice days when people’s schedules matched up. And TODAY, was our first playdate of the spring semester! (Thank you freak 75 degree weather in February!) Today we even played with — believe it or not — a volleyball that I PURCHASED over winter break, and it was so fun to be back on the court with good friends.

Tonight I came home feeling like a little kid, covered in sand and worn out from playing outside all afternoon, and it was great.

So while my odds of actually serving the ball over the net are still pretty low, and I can already see the bruises appearing on my arms as I type this, I can pretty confidently say I’ve been converted to a volleyball enthusiast too…even if it did take me until my last year at William & Mary.  🙂