Road Warriors: A Weekend in Salt Lake City and Grand Junction

Travel weekends are always a mix of excitement, hustle, and a little bit of chaos, and this past weekend was no exception. Thursday morning, our team loaded onto the charter bus at 8 a.m. for our 11-hour ride to Salt Lake City. About six hours in, we made a pit stop at Arches National Park, though I mostly slept through the scenery. Long bus rides call for serious nap energy. Once we arrived, we unloaded our gear, got settled, I worked on homework, and stopped by my trainer’s room for treatment before getting some much-needed sleep.

Arches National Park Pit Stop

Friday morning started with breakfast and a fun team excursion to a local pumpkin patch and farm, with a quick stop at Swig for some treats. Back at the hotel, we prepped for our game, watched film on our opponents, and had lunch. Our pregame routine included a two-hour serve and pass session, followed by an official warmup an hour before the game. One of the highlights of the day was seeing my family surprise me by coming from Arizona. It is always special having them at a game. We went on to win in three sets, and I hit my 1,000 career dig milestone, which made the win even sweeter. After dinner with my family, I wrapped up the night with film review, recovery work, and homework before bed.

Game time!

1000!

Saturday began bright and early at 6 a.m. for a five-hour bus ride to Grand Junction, Colorado. After eating our pregame meal and reviewing scouting reports, we warmed up with serve and pass drills, followed by the official game warmup. The locker room was full of energy as we listened to music and focused our minds. Our 3 p.m. game was a nail-biter, going five sets, but we pulled off the win. After cleaning up, we hit the road for another five-hour ride back to Colorado Springs, getting in around 11:30 p.m. Once back, we unloaded the bus, put everything back in the locker room, and headed home. My roommates left me a sweet surprise for reaching my 1,000 digs, which made the long day even more memorable.

Sunday was all about catching up on sleep, homework, and giving my body some recovery time before the next week of games. Travel weekends are exhausting, but they are also some of the most rewarding moments of the season. Bonding with teammates, celebrating milestones, and pushing ourselves on and off the court makes it all worth it.