Between fighting with ISIS, finding classes and coercing professors into force-adding you into their classes, the first week of school is not easy for any University student. This rings true even more for first-year athletes like volleyball players Lauren Dickson and Tara Hester. Within two days of their first day of college, the pair traveled to Tennessee for the Comcast Lady Vol Classic, their first collegiate volleyball contest.
Academically, the pair face the same challenge as every other first year at Virginia. They still have to deal with roommates, no air conditioning and adjusting to the speed of collegiate classes among other typical first-year challenges.
"They are happy with their roommates and are excited to have their schedules fixed," Virginia coach Melissa Shelton said. "They are trying to learn ISIS and how to add and drop classes just like every other first year."
But on top of beginning their academic career, Dickson and Hester are dealing with the physical rigors of adjusting to the collegiate game.
"The speed of the game is the major difference between high school and the collegiate level," Shelton said.
If their performance in this weekend's tournament is any indication of how quickly they are adjusting, the outlook is good.
Both Dickson and Hester logged significant time in the Lady Vol Classic. Dickson tallied 25 kills throughout the weekend.
Dickson "was one of our more productive hitters," Shelton said. "She was solid all the way across the net and that's really all you can ask of a freshman. We were also pleased with her performance across the back row."
Hester also contributed to the Cavaliers 2-1 weekend with a good serving streak and strong defense across the back, according to Shelton.
"Tara ran some points with her serving and passed well across the back," Shelton said. "We hope to see more of that in upcoming tournaments."
The biggest challenge for the young Cavaliers is balancing their academic schedules with their athletic one.
"That is definitely a factor in how well a first year does on the court," Shelton said. "It's really how they handle being on their own schedule."
Adjusting to juggling school work with athletics is something that all student athletes know all too well. Some students are able to adjust almost immediately while others never make it.
"Playing athletics in college is very time-consuming but it really helps you to keep on schedule," senior Emily Perilli said. "You don't really have a lot of downtime, but you're always trying to use every bit of time you have to get anything done you can."
The results of the adjustment period vary from year to year, Shelton said.
ìWe've been lucky to have first years who have handled it really well, but we've also had first years who have handled it poorly," Shelton said.
During this adjustment period, the rest of the Cavaliers take it upon themselves to make the new girls feel as comfortable as possible.
"We were a very welcoming team for them," Perilli said. "We let them see that we're reading and studying, and working hard in the weight room, working hard at practice. Basically, leading by example."
Dickson and Hester will look to continue their progression this weekend as Virginia hosts the Jefferson Cup Volleyball tournament this weekend.
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