Lauren Adams' Volleyball Diary: 10/23/06
10/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 24, 2006
Last weekend we played McNeese State and Lamar, which are the top teams in the west division of the SLC. First on the list was McNeese State. Due to the fact that Lake Charles is still dealing with hurricane damage we had to play them in Sulphur, La. Before we played, we had to stop for our pre-game meal at the Cracker Barrel where I had to bid a fond farewell to Betty. Betty, who accents her large 3' by 4' permed hair with a centrally located rose, has been the hostess at this Cracker Barrel every year since I was a freshman. With the end of my career fast approaching, nostalgia for things and people like Betty only increases.
After paying my respects the Cracker Barrel and its fabulous gift shop of candy, the team loaded back onto the bus. When we arrived on the court for game time, the stands were full. The McNeese State fans were ready to cheer their team to a victory. McNeese State is an intense and scrappy team and they fought hard. Though the game was a little closer than we would have liked, we were able to win 3-1. After the game, we stopped at another regular meal spot, Wendy's, for dinner and then made our way to Beaumont.
Since breakfast was optional the next morning I chose to sleep in and when those who actually did get up were headed back to their rooms for study hall, I was just making my way down to the lobby where I met my mom for some coffee. It was her turn to bring the team gifts so we decided to sneak in a little mother-daughter bonding time.
A little after noon we all packed back on the bus with our wallets in hand. As soon as we got in the mall, we were all drawn to the same place, the Halloween store where several of us got our costumes last year. We struck gold again this year. Lauren Railey will be a mermaid, Traci Rohde will be a convict, I decided to be a firefighter, and Shelly Swendig, who actually wore a diaper in public last year, will be wearing a child's ninja turtle costume. Following the shopping escapade, we ate at the Olive Garden. When we finished with our food it was nearly game time so we started to the Montagne Center.
The match against Lamar was fun. The warm-up CD they played was very good and their fans are always a delight. One of the "hecklers" who sat behind us was in fact cheering for us, and in the third game when we had 24 points JJ Jones went back to serve, the ball girl handed her the ball and said, "Six more points." With the help of their fans, we were able to win easily in three games.
All in all, this was the perfect Ladyjack weekend. We got to shop, eat at the Olive Garden, and win two more matches. We play rival Sam Houston State in Huntsville Tuesday and my fellow seniors and I will be playing in our last home match ever this weekend.
