Photo by: SMC Athletics / Brian Brownfield
VB | Foreign Tour 2023 – Day 1
6/13/2023 8:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RICHMOND, British Columbia — Saint Mary's volleyball began its 2023 Foreign Tour to Canada on Tuesday afternoon, flying to Vancouver, where they will call most of the next two weeks home. The first-ever foreign tour in program history was met with a lot of excitement from players and coaches, alike.
One of those players who shared her excitement with SMC Athletics right away was freshman Olivia Wright, who joins the Gaels from Paso Robles. In her first taste of volleyball with Saint Mary's, Wright is making her first international trip since her early childhood, which only created more of an eagerness to head north.
"I'm very excited to be travelling with my team," Wright said. "This experience will take my confidence going into the actual season to such a higher level than it would have been if I had started in July."
While this is the first time the Gaels have gone abroad, they players recognize the benefits it will provide moving into their season. One of those student-athletes who spoke about what a trip like this can provide is Ashley Reed, who is set to begin her third season in Moraga.
"Not only do we get to play together and get better on the court, but chemistry is really important," explained Reed. "Getting to spend this time together the whole summer is really valuable and everyone has bought in."
Chemistry was also echoed by assistant coach Cinthia Angus, who knows a thing or two about international competition. Angus hails from Sao Paolo, Brazil and spent her collegiate days playing at the University of Utah. That experience playing volleyball across the country undoubtedly provides a big boost to coaching this current group of student-athletes through the trip.
"Team chemistry helps a lot and the opportunity that they have to be together this entire time, workout, and be in the gym, it just increases the level of competition in the fall," coach Angus mentioned. "As opposed to everybody find their footing on the first day of practice, everybody will know already where they stand and what the culture of the team is. It's a seamless transition."
Not only does a trip like this provide a leg up in terms of preparing the team for the upcoming season, but it also gives the team a chance to figure out roles on and off the court a little earlier than most. That benefit was also spoken about by coach Angus, who explained the benefits of both veteran players and the newcomers.
"The players that are older benefit from this from a leadership standpoint because they have opportunities to practice and communicate with the team how they want to perform," said coach Angus. "The freshmen, it's nice to see where they stand so they can get a feel for the team and what it will look like a little ahead of time so it isn't surprising to them."
This year's team features three freshman and one additional newcomer in the form of Hannah Taylor, who has been with the team since the spring semester. While the team only graduated Hawley Harrer off the roster, adding three additional student-athletes allows the Gaels to have an even deeper squad than they have had in the past.
It also gives some of those new faces the ability to shake off whatever preseason jitters that they might feel as they get accustomed to playing at the collegiate level. Wright made it clear that hitting the floor and putting in work with the rest of the team does exactly that, saying "I'm going to be playing with my team, so getting those nerves out of the way is great."
For some, this trip to Canada is a chance to experience a destination they have never been before. Despite being neighbors to the United States along its northern border, perhaps some of the Gaels were taken aback by flight instructions being delivered in both English and French. This change in scenery allows all along for the journey to see some of the best sights and experience some of the best staples of Canadian culture. Yes, playing volleyball is important, but the memories made on the trip are equally important.
"I really want to try some maple syrup and maybe some Canadian maple donuts, because I heard those are really good," laughed Reed, who did her research. "But first and most importantly, I am excited to play competitive volleyball against some great players. I want to get better."
The team will spend its first two full days in Canada getting better and practicing at the Richmond Olympic Oval, preparing for their first exhibition match against Canada's NextGen team. That match takes place on Friday, June 16 at 7:00 pm, and is the first of three exhibitions against Canada's NextGen team on the schedule.
One of those players who shared her excitement with SMC Athletics right away was freshman Olivia Wright, who joins the Gaels from Paso Robles. In her first taste of volleyball with Saint Mary's, Wright is making her first international trip since her early childhood, which only created more of an eagerness to head north.
"I'm very excited to be travelling with my team," Wright said. "This experience will take my confidence going into the actual season to such a higher level than it would have been if I had started in July."
While this is the first time the Gaels have gone abroad, they players recognize the benefits it will provide moving into their season. One of those student-athletes who spoke about what a trip like this can provide is Ashley Reed, who is set to begin her third season in Moraga.
"Not only do we get to play together and get better on the court, but chemistry is really important," explained Reed. "Getting to spend this time together the whole summer is really valuable and everyone has bought in."
Chemistry was also echoed by assistant coach Cinthia Angus, who knows a thing or two about international competition. Angus hails from Sao Paolo, Brazil and spent her collegiate days playing at the University of Utah. That experience playing volleyball across the country undoubtedly provides a big boost to coaching this current group of student-athletes through the trip.
"Team chemistry helps a lot and the opportunity that they have to be together this entire time, workout, and be in the gym, it just increases the level of competition in the fall," coach Angus mentioned. "As opposed to everybody find their footing on the first day of practice, everybody will know already where they stand and what the culture of the team is. It's a seamless transition."
Not only does a trip like this provide a leg up in terms of preparing the team for the upcoming season, but it also gives the team a chance to figure out roles on and off the court a little earlier than most. That benefit was also spoken about by coach Angus, who explained the benefits of both veteran players and the newcomers.
"The players that are older benefit from this from a leadership standpoint because they have opportunities to practice and communicate with the team how they want to perform," said coach Angus. "The freshmen, it's nice to see where they stand so they can get a feel for the team and what it will look like a little ahead of time so it isn't surprising to them."
This year's team features three freshman and one additional newcomer in the form of Hannah Taylor, who has been with the team since the spring semester. While the team only graduated Hawley Harrer off the roster, adding three additional student-athletes allows the Gaels to have an even deeper squad than they have had in the past.
It also gives some of those new faces the ability to shake off whatever preseason jitters that they might feel as they get accustomed to playing at the collegiate level. Wright made it clear that hitting the floor and putting in work with the rest of the team does exactly that, saying "I'm going to be playing with my team, so getting those nerves out of the way is great."
For some, this trip to Canada is a chance to experience a destination they have never been before. Despite being neighbors to the United States along its northern border, perhaps some of the Gaels were taken aback by flight instructions being delivered in both English and French. This change in scenery allows all along for the journey to see some of the best sights and experience some of the best staples of Canadian culture. Yes, playing volleyball is important, but the memories made on the trip are equally important.
"I really want to try some maple syrup and maybe some Canadian maple donuts, because I heard those are really good," laughed Reed, who did her research. "But first and most importantly, I am excited to play competitive volleyball against some great players. I want to get better."
The team will spend its first two full days in Canada getting better and practicing at the Richmond Olympic Oval, preparing for their first exhibition match against Canada's NextGen team. That match takes place on Friday, June 16 at 7:00 pm, and is the first of three exhibitions against Canada's NextGen team on the schedule.
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