"Courtside" with Sonya Sundberg

7-0!!!! I am so proud of every single person on the team! We matched the best start since 1982 or somewhere around there!! We are so excited! Last week we had two huge wins against two very good teams. On Tuesday we played Central Oklahoma at home. This is the team that has knocked us out of the conference tournament the past few years and we knew they were going to come out fighting! We started off strong and then died down a little but were able to hang on to a good lead going in to halftime. Then second half we started strong and didn’t stop, winning by 30 points. Everyone played so great and we had everyone on the team score! That just shows how deep this team is.

Then Thursday we played against Northeastern State, another very good team from the North. Last year we played this team and lost by around 20, so again we wanted some revenge. Unfortunately, we did not have such a great start. We were slow to get going in this game and it showed, going in to halftime with a 4 point deficit. Many people including myself just looked so down going in the locker room and luckily we have teammates to keep our heads up. Namely, Kelsey Benford, who said, “ya’ll act like we already lost, lets go!” This really woke us up, especially me. It was definitely a tough mental game after such an emotional win over UCO. But we came out after the second half and never looked back, playing like the true TexAnns. It was a tough game and Northeastern was very well coached and great three point shooters, but our defense is what really won us the game.

We have this week off due to finals, but we will be back at it Saturday when we head to Oklahoma to play East Central. Next week will be our next big test heading to Oklahoma twice in just a few days. After East Central, we face Southeastern, who just beat West Texas A&M this last weekend in Canyon. We know that these will be tough games, but if we prepare we have no doubt we can beat them! Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us last week!! You make all the difference!!

Go TexAnns!!!

"Courtside" with Effran Bryant

Tarleton State University Basketball continues to strive for excellence by being the only school with Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams to still be undefeated in the Lone Star Conference…

It is a great feeling going into our game tonight against the University of Central Oklahoma, who has become a great rival to Tarleton State University since I have been a Texan. We spent this last week together as a team. Many other teams around the national got to go home and spend time with the family. We spent the week of Thanksgiving as an extended family getting back to the basics. We used the week to add and fine tune our offense and defense getting ready to go into crossover play in the LSC. I felt really well about us getting together on Thanksgiving and just sitting around and thinking about the things we are thankful for as a team and individuals.

Later that night, we all got together and went to see “The Blind Side”. This inspiration gives us the extra push to come in on Saturday and play very well against Wiley College who had been playing very well in the last couple of games before ours. Now with the 4-0 start and us playing extremely well, I think we are ready to take on our rival UCO.

Over my three years, UCO has knocked us out of postseason play every year. I feel very good about the emphasis of how big this game is to our very young season. We have met some very worthy opponents. This will be an early test of how good we can be in this conference. Coach Reisman, the coaching staff, and the returners have expressed the strong feeling that we have towards UCO. I think the new faces to our team have bought in strong additions to the Tarleton attitude and demeanor.

I hope to see everyone tonight at 6 p.m. to support the girls and immediately following stay and cheer for our game.

"Courtside" with Sonya Sundberg

Hope everyone had a great thanksgiving! I know I thought it was nice to get a day off and spend some time with family and friends. But we are back at school, getting ready to head to Austin tomorrow, Saturday 28th to play St. Edwards.

We have had three games since my last entry and we won all three moving us to 4-0 on the season. Our tournament in Denton was a success, winning both games by a decent margin. I was especially proud of our performance against Pittsburg State. We all played such a great game and that was a good indicator of how good our team can be.

Earlier this week we faced Concordia University and we got everyone on the team to contribute. This game was an indicator of just how deep our bench is, with people like Brittany Coleman scoring 15 off the bench.

We have been successful thus far, but we know the road ahead is tough and long so we just need to keep working hard in practice and games to improve. This weekend’s game in Austin is going to be tough, but if we play like we are capable of, I think we are a very tough team to beat. After Austin we are back at home Tuesday starting off our first crossover conference game against UCO, the team that knocked us out of the conference tournament last year. We look forward to seeing you there!!
Go TexAnns!!

"Going the Distance" with Jared McNeil

So the National championships are finally here and I couldn't be more excited! My training has gone great going into this week and now i'm just relaxing trying to get mentally and pysically ready for the race on Saturday.

Coach Ponder and I left Stephenville Thursday morning for Evansville Indiana; now we are settled into the hotel and going to some activities that the NCAA are holding. On Friday, I will wake up and run the course and get a feel for the start and finish. Top forty runners get All-American and thats what i'm hoping for.

"Courtside" with Sonya Sundberg

We played our first game Tuesday night against UTPB!! It was a blast! We won, but our competition is just going to get tougher from here on out. Things are really starting to shape together for the season. We are learning what our strengths and weaknesses are and focusing on those daily in practice.

I was really proud of Brittnie Haley in this game. You wouldn’t have known that she was out for a season and a half. She didn’t miss a beat! I am really excited to see her continue to grow.

We only have a two-day break and then we are at it again this weekend as we travel to Denton to play two very strong division II teams, Pittsburg State and Western New Mexico. I am really excited for this opportunity, as it will give us a perspective on where we stand as a team. Another positive note is that we still have not played anywhere close to our full potential and still have been winning by a decent margin. However, we will truly be tested this weekend, but I am excited and I know the team and coaches are as well. Hopefully , we will be able to listen to some of the football game Saturday after our game. We are so happy for them and wish them all the best!!

Go Texans!!!

"Going the Distance" - with Jared McNeil

With high hopes for making it to the National meet, on Saturday we fell 11 points short from doing just that. The team trained so hard this year, with all seven guys coming in confident and in shape. Going into the regional meet we all thought that if we had two guys in the top ten and the next three in the top thirty we would be in. Everyone did their job and ran to the best of their ability. Unfortunately there were three teams that were better than us that day. I was able to make it on my own by getting in the top five. Coach Ponder and I will leave for Evansville, Indiana next Thursday and I will be running that Saturday. The rest of the team is taking a week off and then will start getting ready for the outdoor track season.

"Courtside" with Effran Bryant

The first two weeks of practice has come and gone. Last weekend, we traveled to University of Texas-San Antonio where for the first time as a team we scrimmaged against someone else. This was a very important start for us as a team. This scrimmage pointed out some things that we haven’t been seeing going against each other in practice and need to work on. We took the film from the scrimmage and went back to work to continue to improve for this season’s opener.

There were a lot of bright spots in the scrimmage. Our transfer point guard from Ranger Junior College, Corin Henry, really stepped up and led the team as a point guard should.

Our post play was very impressive from the three headed monster led by senior Jeremiah Wilson, junior Donta Smith and junior Wale Ogunoye. They combined to shoot over 50 percent and lead us in scoring. We got minutes from Darrion Washington and Devon Hills, who shot the ball well from the guard position.

Coach Reisman and the coaching staff explained to us to stay focus on improving every day because this game was filed in column three. The game isn’t a win or loss. It doesn’t count towards what our true focus is ­- and that’s a national championship. We must continue to work hard so we can make the steps to become an elite team.

"Courtside" with Sonya Sundberg

Well we had our first scrimmage last night!!! It was so great to get to play against someone other than ourselves for once! Overall I think we did pretty well in the scrimmage, but it also opened our eyes as to how much work we still have to do. There are many things we will be focusing on in practice this next week to get prepared for our first exhibition game on Tuesday. It is hard to believe that the season is starting full-swing, but we couldn’t be more excited about it. Our coaches are working hard to get us mentally and physically ready for this upcoming season. We know that we are going to have to fight hard until the end of every game.

We found out last week that we were picked to get second in conference this year. And while that is great and most people are happy about it, we believe that if we truly utilize all our strengths and build up our weaknesses we can get first in conference. I know this is a tough goal but like I have said before, I think this team is really something special this year. We have our Texan Club luncheon next Tuesday at noon in the TSC Ballrooms if you are a Texan Club member and would like to come out and hear a little about our team along with the men’s team, we would really appreciate it. You will also be introduced to all the players on both teams. We are looking forward to seeing you out there next Tuesday night for our exhibition game against UT Dallas at 6:00 pm in Wisdom Gym!!!

"Courtside" with Effran Bryant

Who can believe it? The time has come for the 2009-10 basketball season to get started. After seeing all the support from the student body and the Stephenville community the other night at Midnight Madness, I know this is going to be a very exciting year for this basketball team.

The crowd brought so much excitement to Wisdom Gym on Wednesday night. The Sound and the Fury marching band was in attendance keeping the noise to extreme levels. With every dunk and shot made the crowd went crazy. I just know with support like that, the wins will come so much easier in our schedule.

The way they changed up the structure of Midnight Madness this year was both fun and humorous. It was the first time we have ever had a little competition between the Texans and TexAnns. Sonya Sundberg and I competed in an old-fashioned, three-point contest. The audience got behind both of us, but what can I say, she got the best of me on that one.

I am happy the fans finally got to see firsthand the new transfers and freshmen the coaching staff brought in for this season. I am very excited to know the intelligence and enthusiasm these newcomers have brought meet the standards and pride of the returning nucleus from the 2008-09 basketball team. And with the experience of our coaching staff, this could be one of those special years at Tarleton State.

Coach Chris Reisman and Coach Jabarr Adams have worked very hard with us this preseason. The coaching staff changed a lot of things this year because of school starting later in August. We have showed in the first couple of practices that we were more than ready to start Coach Reisman’s two weeks of basketball boot camp. All the credit - and I must not lie here – goes to working with Coach Rod Cole in the weight room. That has helped all the players change their body structure and become better athletes in the strength department.

October is almost gone and November 17th isn’t that far away, but we still have a lot of work to do before we start worrying about the season and home opener against Dallas Baptist.

More next time…

"Courtside" with Sonya Sundberg

Well, Midnight Madness has come and gone. Last night we kicked off the season with… a little dancing... and of course some basketball as well. We spent the day preparing for what we were going to do when we came out and that is what we came up with. If you weren’t there, we came out in two's and met in the middle and did a little dance routine with our partners, then with two groups on the opposite side we came together doing the Remember the Titans walk. It was a blast and just proved even more to me how fun this year is going to be. Our team chemistry is great and just continues to grow every day. After a little fun dancing we were introduced and played a little 5 on 5 scrimmage. The guys took the court and we cheered them on as they dunked and danced.

After the guys were introduced and they scrimmaged, we had a special event for the first time ever, a three point contest between the Texans and TexAnns. One member from each team was chosen to represent the team. There were fifteen balls each, five balls on each rack with the last ball being the money ball. Effran Bryant shot for the Texans and I shot for the TexAnns. I got the pleasure of going first and made seven. Poor Effran was having a bad shooting night and came up just short. It was a lot of fun and hopefully will continue to be a tradition that is passed on throughout Midnight Madness.

With Midnight Madness ending around one in the morning we woke up about 5 hours later and had our first practice this morning. It was great to get the entire team out there working together for the first time this season. We are really going to be something special this year if we continue to work hard!


Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us at Midnight Madness! We appreciate you all so much and can’t wait for the first exhibition game to get here November 10!

Go TexAnns!
Sonya

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

WE WON!! WE WON!! WE WON!!! It is such a great feeling, being able to walk away with a win and know that we earned it!!! As you can see, we won Saturday against Southwestern Oklahoma!! We beat them in 3 sets!! We played hard and never let down!!! The atmosphere on the court was awesome!! Everyone was talking and having fun!! Like I stated earlier we made a pact to talk and hold each other accountable, and I think it worked. We are 2-2 in conference now, and still have a long season in front of us!! Saturday's win was what we needed!! It got our confidence back up and refreshed our memory of what it feels like to walk away with a win!!!!

We have practice this week before we travel to Topeka, Kansas!! The practices this week are very crucial and we need to be in tip-top shape when we compete in Kansas. I know we can do it - we just have TO do it!! We will be facing two teams that we have played and did not walk away with the win!! This time it’s going to be different!! We have come along way and we are a better team now!!!

Outside of the volleyball court, school has been a little stressful for everyone!! We have been traveling a lot and trying to stay on top of our work, but it can be difficult at times!! Therefore, whenever we have any free time it turns into study time!! Which of course, its not a bad thing!!!

Thanks for all the support from everyone!!!


Shay

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

Well its about 9 p.m. on Friday night and we just got back to the hotel from eating supper. Everyone is getting ready to call it a night since curfew is at 9:30. We had practice tonight and it was filled with a lot of emotions. We worked hard like we do every other practice, but there was something special about this practice - WE HAD FUN!!! We have all come to realization that we are not a successful team when we do not enjoy ourselves out on the court and when we have a limited amount of talking.
Therefore, with that being said, in the middle of our practice we all came together to talk things out. We all decided that instead of looking too much into ourselves about what we can do better individually, we are going to look to one another... and that talking to each other is going to be the key. So, we made a pact and the pact was to talk consistently - no matter what the circumstances are. The last two games that we have played, out on the court it has felt like we are stranded out in the middle of the ocean on six different islands. I know it sounds goofy, but that’s what it felt like and I what it looked like.

So, tomorrow we face Southwestern Oklahoma and they are 3-0 in conference. They beat Kingsville in 4 on Thursday night. SWOSU is on high right now and we are going to have to show up to play to win this match. If we can get all six cylinders going on the court we will be just fine. So our biggest challenges are to all have our killer instinct game faces on with the consistent talk that is much needed.

I am personally excited and ready for this game. It’s a big game and I want to prove to people that we aren’t a fluke when we come away with a win. We have the most talent in the conference - it is just taking a little extra effort to get it all out on the court. Therefore, I am simply ready to play. I believe with my heart that we can do it!!! I tell the girls every game day that we are going to have to earn it, that its not going to be given to us, and I think it is really starting to sink in.

Thanks for everything!!!

Shay

"Court Side" - with Sonya Sundberg

We are almost there! With midnight madness right around the corner, the team is getting very anxious to start the season. We have had a tough off-season this year from running sprints and long distance to working hard in the weight room and most importantly in pick-up games and individuals. It will all be worth it when it pays off in the season.

We have high expectations for ourselves this year, but we know other teams do as well, so we just have to keep working hard. On the downside, we have had a few injuries and people out due to sickness the last few weeks. However, we would rather it have happened now than during season, so we are thankful for that. Everyone is slowly coming back and hopefully we will all be back and healthy ready to go by October 15th.

We are looking forward to seeing everyone at Midnight Madness!!!

Go TexAnns!
Sonya

"Going the Distance" with Jared McNeil

So we finally had our first meet this past weekend in Joplin, Missouri. We raced an 8k in which all seven guys ran a personal best and the time gap from our number one through five was only 58 seconds.

For the first meet of the year - and it only being September - we are all really excited about what's to come this season. The only down side to the weekend was that three of the four teams that beat us are in our region and only three teams go to nationals from each region. We wont see any of those teams again until November, so until then, we will be working hard and getting prepared for the North Texas meet on the 2nd of October.

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

Once practice started today, I could finally stop replaying the last point of Saturday's game in my head. I have tried everything to come up with some realization of what happened. I have analyzed and broke down what I could have done differently to keep that ball in play. I can’t take back what happened on Saturday, but I can take ownership, move on and get ready for Thursday's game. If you couldn't already tell, we did not win on Saturday against Commerce. We played hard, tried hard, but just couldn’t stay consistent. Consistency was the key to that game and that was why it ended up the way it did. We can't dwell on the outcome of that game it is in the past now. All we can do now is prepare to take care of future business and see what is in store for us down the road.

We leave Thursday morning and head to Edmond, Oklahoma to face Central Oklahoma. Central Oklahoma is 0-2 in conference, but that still does not mean anything. The ball is in our court and we have to take care of it. Our conference is so tough that every match can belong to either team. Once, we play at UCO we will head to Weatherford, Oklahoma to face Southwestern. Southwestern is a team that is 2-0. Therefore, once again the ball is in our court, we just have to take care of it.

Today’s practice was a good practice. The girls came back ready to practice and get better. Everyone was in good spirits and ready to earn two wins this week. We have two more practices this week before we head to Oklahoma. We regrouped today after the loss on Saturday, so we can only go up from here.

Thank you again to everyone who supports us. We appreciate it greatly!!!

Go Texanns!!

Shay

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

1-0 IN CONFERENCE!! What a great feeling it is!!! We won last night against Texas Womens in five sets. It was awesome!!! We played so hard!! I can't explain how much emotion was out on the court last night!!! We went into that game knowing that we were going to have to earn every point - and we did. If TWU went on a roll, we did not let that bother us - we simply just kept FIGHTING!!! The atmosphere was awesome in the gym. It was so loud at times it was hard to hear the back row telling the front row where they should hit the ball. I loved it though; I would take a loud gym and have to struggle to hear my teammate any day.

TWU is a good team and I will not take that away from them. We just played extremely hard. Our serve-receive was amazingly consistent. The offense was outstanding. That was the first match that we had all five hitters going and everyone was putting the ball down. Our defense was in incredible also. The block was touching balls that we hadn’t been touching all year and our back row were digging balls that hadn’t been dug all year. At last night's game, simply everything was flowing and that allowed us to come out with a win.

We came out with the mentality that if we want to win, we have to earn it. I would say - WE EARNED IT!!! That same mentality is going to have to come out on Saturday when we face TAMU-Commerce. Commerce won as well last night and so they are going to be on the same high that we are on. We are going to need to come out disciplined and ready to earn another victory.

Thank you again fans, cheerleaders, and plowboys for all your support!! Ya'll were awesome last night!!! Come out Saturday at 2 p.m. when we play Commerce!! It’s another BIG GAME!! Autographs after the game as well!!

Go TSU!!
Shay

"Going the Distance" - with Jared McNeil

With the first meet coming up on Saturday the 19th, all the guys are looking good and are excited to compete. The mileage has gone up this season so the last couple weeks some of the guys have been feeling a little dead legged and tired, but hopefully everything well come together on race day.

It has been fun training in the rain the last four days, but so far no one is sick and that is a blessing. I think everyone on the team though is ready for some sunshine!

We leave for Joplin on Friday at 7:30 and will be competing on Saturday morning at 9:45.

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

This past weekend we hosted our second straight tournament and things still did not go as planned. We went 2-2 this weekend!! Don’t get me wrong, it was a great feeling to win two matches this weekend, but the disappointment was still there with the two losses. This weekend was an overall rough weekend for me. I was battling a sickness and then an unexpected injury. I was very grateful to make it through our four matches this weekend.

In the first match we played UTPB. They are a very scrappy team. They are so scrappy that there are times we think the ball is down and somehow they seem to send it right back over the net. We had our moments where we played well, but the bad moments outweighed the good. After a long chat with the coaches after the game, the team decided to come out ready to play against OPSU.

We played a lot better against OPSU. It was actually fun out on the court. We were working hard and TOGETHER, which made great things happen. When we can get all six cylinders going in a game we are unstoppable and play like the team that we can. The challenge is, how do we get all six cylinders running at the same time - at every game?

The third match we played Incarnate Word. This team has always been tough competition for us. They are a strong defensive team and we just couldn’t seem to put the ball in spots where they weren’t. At the beginning of the game we came out strong and it was a close match, but once we got to point 15 we couldn’t hang on and they would pull away. This was another game where we would have hints of all six cylinders running, but it was never consistant.

The fourth and final match was against Texas A&M International. We played good against this team. After losing to Incarnate Word we came back ready to play. Rachel Wolf played a great game offensively and had a huge impact on the outcome of the game. Like I have said previously, if we can get everyone going we are unstoppable.

We start conference play this week, so this week is a HUGE week for us!! This is when we need to put all of the preseason behind us and play like we know how too. We have played extremely tough teams this year as you can see with our record numbers. I can’t complain about our record because we did that to ourselves and we cannot dwell on that anymore. Its serious business now, this is what counts!!! We are going to work hard all week to get prepared for our first two conference matches! The great thing about this week is that we are playing both matches at home.

Starting today is our road to the conference tournament. We practice hard, we play hard, we will get rewarded. We, the Tarleton Texanns, are due for a great conference season after all the tough situations that we have been put through in non-conference play!!!

I invite all students and fans to come out and watch us play on Thursday at 7 p.m. against Texas Woman's, and on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Texas A&M Commerce.

Thanks again for all the support!! We play for you and appreciate all of it!!!! Thank you!!!


Bleed Purple!!

Shay

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

Well, the week started off absolutely wonderful!!! We had two great practices before we had our home opener on Wednesday night. The atmosphere in the gym was outstanding. The plowboys and cheerleaders were so loud and did such a great job keeping the crowd going. Every seat was filled that night at the game. It was so awesome looking up in the stands and looking at how many people came to game. Thank you all for coming out!!!

We played well that night against Texas Weslyan. We had all six cylinders going on the court and it was a fantastic feeling. We were jumping out of the gym. I personally felt like I was floating when I jumped from all the adrenaline pumping. That game was our first win of the season and it felt great. We were 0-4 going into that match and coming out with a win just lifted a lot of weight off of our back. This year's team has a lot of heart and a lot of talent, but it is just taking a little longer to get every thing rocking and rolling.

This weekend we traveled to Midwestern state to play in the invitational tournament. This tourney was a little better than Nebraska’s tourney, simply because we walked away with a win. We went 1-3 this weekend. Once again it was still a frustrating weekend. We did play some great teams like no. 4 ranked Emporia State from Kansas, Northwood from Michigan, Drury, and Southwest Baptist.

The game against Emporia State was a struggle. We did not play to the best of our ability and we hung with them the first two sets. So just think if we would have came and played our A-game what the scores may have been. Emporia is a very great team and there is a reason that they are ranked so high in the nation.

Northwood was the team that we beat in five. We fought hard in this game and never gave up. We defiantly were the team that was in better shape. We were not making fatigued mistakes and I think that is what allowed us to come away with the win.

The match against Drury was a different story. We were lacking a lot of things. This team was very disciplined and we were not. We were making mistakes that we would never do in practice. It was such a weird atmosphere out on the court. After that game we had a meeting in the locker room. The meeting, I think, helped a lot. I told the girls that we are going to have to earn every point in these matches and that they are not going to be given to us. These teams are good so we have to fight!! The ball is in our court and if we want to win we have to do it. It is simply not going to be given to us.

The fourth and final match of the day was against Southwest Baptist. We lost in the fifth set 15-17. We fought very, very hard. We came out pumped and ready to play!!! I can't give enough to the team about the effort and the drive that we had in this last match. We just didn’t come away with the win. The game over all was a great game - we just lost!! These types of games are good for any team cause you learn a lot by being put in a tough situation.

Therefore, over all - the weekend did not go as planned. We did learn a lot from this weekend and did improve from our trip in Nebraska. We will be hosting our tournament this weekend. So please come out and watch us perform.

Once again, thanks for all the fans that drove to Wichita Falls to watch us play and for coming to our home opener on Wednesday!!!!

Go Texanns!!!

Shay

"Going the Distance" - with Jared McNeil

So the first week of training and school is over and everyone is super excited about the up coming season. All the guys came back to school in great shape, so the team is looking good as the first meet creeps closer.

This season we will have nine solid guys running for Tarleton and every one of them wants to make a difference. We have set our goals high for season. Coach Ponder has always said, "Aim for the moon and if you miss you will land among the stars." So all the guys took it to heart and we hope to do great things this season!

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

Well its 2 a.m. on Sunday and we are working our way back to Texas. We are somewhere in the middle of Nowhere, Kan. and I cannot sleep. I have so many thoughts running through my mind about this weekend.

The weekend did not go as well as I would have liked. I cannot stop thinking about how the games went and wondering why we couldn’t buckle down and get everything together. The teams up in Nebraska were great teams and I will not take anything away from them, but we did not execute in the way that we have the ability too. We had spurts of excellence, but the chaotic plays out weighed the excellent ones

Our very first match of the season against Nebraska-Omaha was crazy. It felt like we couldn’t do anything right. The heart and effort was there, but the fundamentals of volleyball were left back in Texas for some reason. The coaches tried several different line-ups to see if someone could get a spark going to where we could get on a roll and play ball – but nothing worked.

The second match against Minnesota-Mankato was a little better than the first. We won the first set 28-26 and we worked really hard. Everything was fluid and we were competing. It was like the real Texanns had finally showed up to play. Then the next three sets of that match we went back to the same TexAnn team from earlier that day.

The third match of the tournament was against No. 9-ranked Truman. Well, we played well for the most part and gave them a run for their money. I am never going to blame an official for a outcome of the game because there are always situations that could be executed differently to keep you out of predicaments. Well the last two sets were very close and we ended up losing them both by 2 points. There were some questionable calls, but those are always going to happen. Unfortunately the calls didn’t go our way today, but they may go our way the next time. I was not a very happy person. The referee called me over to explain the call, but at that point all I could think of was, “whatever, I don’t want to talk – let’s just play ball

In the fourth and final match of the weekend we played Dallas Baptist, who we had beaten several times in my career at Tarleton. Well, that was not the case this time. We played better and played close matches but just couldn’t execute.

It is so frustrating knowing the potential that this team has and the fact that we did not produce it. The good thing is that this is our first weekend of play and we have plenty of time to improve before conference play begins. Yes it is extremely irritating losing but sometimes you learn more about yourself and the team when you lose than you do winning.

Overall, the trip was an experience that I won’t forget. I have never been to Nebraska before and it was very cool. The weather was so nice. It was not scorching hot or extremely cold.

We have our home opener this Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Texas Wesleyan. We are going to come out strong and learn from our mistakes this weekend and do some damage on the court.

It is about 2:45 a.m. now and it’s about time where I am getting a little bit sleepy - so, I am going to try and get some sleep before we roll into the ‘Ville around 8 a.m. Thank you for all the support and put us on your calendar to come watch the team play on Wednesday night.

Go Texanns!!
Shay

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

Well, we have finally completed two-a-days.

I honestly cannot believe that I just completed my last two-a-days as an athlete. I am a little sad, but my excitement about the start of our season - in four days - overwhelms the sadness. As we have finished two-a-days, things are finally coming together. The chemistry that we have been looking for was shining through on Saturday’s practice. Everyone walked away with a positive outlook following the practice.

I am very excited that we leave early Thursday morning (around 6 a.m.) and start our adventure towards Nebraska. I can’t wait to put on that purple jersey with “Tarleton” written on the back and represent the university the way that I know we can. The competition is going to be tough, but that is what we need to become prepared for conference play. Our conference is very strong and every win is worth it. Our first match in Nebraska is against Nebraska-Omaha. The match is going to be a little crazy simply because neither team has played each other before - and it is the first match of the season. So no one really knows what to expect, but on the flip side that is what makes it just as exciting.

School started today and it was crazy. I went to go do my weight workout and it took me ten minutes to find a parking spot. I ended up parking on the visitor’s side of the football field house. I had forgotten how packed the first day of school is because my graduate classes are always held in the evening. We have practice this afternoon at 3:15 and I am super curious to hear about everyone’s first day of school stories. There are always the stories about how “my schedule rocks and it’s going to be so easy.” Contrasting that there are the stories about “holy cow, I have to get out of this class.” Then there is my story – well, I didn’t have class today so all I did was run errands and wait for practice to come around.

Anyways, as you can see our season opener is just around the corner and I do have some preparation I need to do on the “team talk” that Rachel wolf and I are going to give prior to the games this weekend!!!

Go Texanns!!!
Shay

"At the Net" - with Shay Gracy

The first week of two a days is over and it was moving along very smoothly - until the first session of workouts Wednesday morning. After all the preparation that was I put in over the spring and summer to prevent unwanted injuries, it still did not go as planned. I slipped and fell during a drill and reinjured my back. I was so frustrated because I slipped on a wet spot that was on the court instead of actually completing a volleyball skill. I have not been able to walk normally nor participate in any practices over the last three days. I was feeling really good on Friday morning, but was still not allowed to suit out and practice. I was a little disturbed about being held out again, but deep down I knew it was the best for my back. The coaches gave us off on Saturday, which I was super pumped about because that is two less practices that I will miss. I am hoping to be back on the court practicing Sunday afternoon

Sitting on the sidelines is extremely hard for me, even though, you do learn a lot from watching. It almost makes me angry because I want to be practicing with the girls and putting in all the hard work that they are putting in. I catch myself playing with a ball up against the wall and modifying the drills that are being done in practice so I can keep getting touches on the ball. I won’t lie - I am the athlete that always tries to find a way for me to get in some sort of practice when I am injured. Although, that was not the case with this injury as the trainers have put a short leash on me, :).

As a team, we are looking better each with every practice. We still have a lot of kinks to workout, but that is what practice is for. I can’t explain the amount of leadership that we have in this group of returners. Every single one of them are amazing. All nine of us are strictly about business on the court and we are not going to let anything get in our way of reaching our goal – Lone Star Conference Championship!!!!! The six new girls are fitting in more and more every day. It’s so funny because not only have we learned so much about the new girls in just a short span of one week, but the returners have learned so much more about each other as well.

Week Two begins on Monday and it is going to be very crucial. I pray that there will be no more injuries on our team - so that we can focus solely on what we need to do to win our first match in Nebraska.

Go Texanns!!!

Shay

"At the Net" with Shay Gracy

Our season is finally here. No more lifting weights daily and running out in the hot sun on the football field. We are officially in our element - inside Wisdom Gym and on the Texann volleyball court. We have filled out all of our compliance papers, completed our annual physicals, and have finished four workouts in two days.

The first night of practice was absolutely awesome!! The energy in the gym was bouncing off every wall. Everyone was jumping out of their shoes, putting heat behind the ball when swinging, and touching balls that most wouldn’t usually be touched during the first workout.
I personally am super pumped about this season. There is a special feeling that over comes me when it comes to this volleyball team. We have nine returners and every single girl gives something special to this team. We are all extremely close - on and off the court. The six new comers are awesome and they have the potential to be the missing pieces to the puzzle in order for us to reach our goal of winning conference championship. We have a very tall team this year. It is so nice to look to my right and to my left and see five other girls just as tall as me. We are going to be huge this year on the front row and our back row defense is so quick nothing is going to get past us. We have the determination and the drive this year to bring home Tarleton's first-ever conference championship.
These last two days have been AWESOME!!!! Our first practice was the best first practice since I have been at Tarleton. It gives me chills when I think about it. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen this season. We are going to do great things and its going only up from here!

Dingler talks: Final Blog - Mar. 6, 2009

So I guess this is my last and final blog for Tarleton. This was fun being able to let people in the loop of what's going on. So thanks!

Bartlesville was a great experience! I was so proud we had made it there, I just wished we could of won that first game. It was a tough and close game. We played them earlier this year and lost by 3 and we lost by 3 yesterday. It was a tough loss and hard to end my career that way!

UCO is a tough team and will probably make some noise in the regional tournament. It just shows how we could stick with the tough teams.

I'm going to miss it all so much. Basketball and Tarleton have been so good to me and I'm grateful to be here! Thanks to all the support and fans throughout the years. You are what makes Tarleton athletics what it is.

I can't express my gratitude enough! I love my teammates and coaches so much. They played with such heart last night. Next year they will be a Tough and great team! I'm very proud of everyone.

Well I really enjoyed writing a blog every game. It was fun. It was a good year! Thank you again!

Till then Go TexAnns!
Love,
D'Anna Dingler

Dingler talks: Mar. 1, 2009

Yesterday was such an overwhelming day for the team and myself. It was a must win game - and it was my last home game. Everyone was ready to play and ready to get revenge for the last time we played Angelo State - when we lost on a last second shot. Last night we had something to prove.

I was so proud of my team, everyone came out and played Tarleton basketball like we should play. The whole game and atmosphere was exciting. Especially with it being my last home game here at Tarleton.

It was also a great game to give Coach Hearne his 100th win as the head coach at Tarleton. I was here for his 500th overall win and I was here for his 100th. It was something special and I am glad I was a part of that. I really enjoyed it. Coach Hearne has gotten us here and now we get to have an extended season in the post season tournament. Congrats.

It's so good that we have won 6 out of our 7 games. We are playing so well right now and it's the best time to be playing like this!

I just wanted to write and say thank you. Thank you to the whole Tarleton and Stephenville community. Playing all my years here at Tarleton have been great and I have loved every minute of it. It has been a great experience. I want to thank my coaches and my teammates for making me the player I am and always having my back. Also I want to thank my support system - my fiance Jordan, my parents, brother and sister, my grandparents and just everyone who has been there every step of the way. It has been such a great four years of my life and I am so grateful for getting to play at Tarleton. Yesterday was a tough day to say bye to Wisdom gym, I'm really going to miss it all.

But I'm grateful that we have a chance to extend our season and play in Bartlesville. It's going to be a fun experience. So I can't wait.

Thanks for all the fans who came yesterday. It was a great night. Wish us luck in Bartlesville.

Till then Go TexAnns.

Dingler talks: Feb. 26, 2009

Last night was the weirdest start to a college game that I have ever seen! We started our game an hour late due to referee issues. It was very nerve racking and a bit of a distraction. So with that, we had to re-focus and get back to doing what we do.

The game didn't start off exactly the way we wanted it to - Kingsville began the game with an 8-0 run! But, we settled down and got a good lead going there in the first half.

Kingsville came back and gave us a run there in the second half and were not going away, but we were able to come out on top!!!

Everyone played so well last night and with tons of heart! Sonya couldn't miss anything and JoAnne kept us in there at the post spot. But one girl that I want to point out is Morgan Stehling! She stepped up at a position that she hardly ever plays and did an awesome job. I was very proud of her!

A win made the bus ride home a lot easier.

Saturday will be a HUGE night for TexAnn basketball! We pretty much control our own destiny Saturday. We have to win to get into the LSC tournament! It will be a good game. We lost to Angelo State the first time we played them by just a point.

Also, Saturday will be my last home game to play! It's very surreal to me that everything is coming to an end for me. I really wish every little girl out there wanting to play basketball in college gets to have the chance that I did at Tarleton!

But as the saying goes, all good things do come to an end :(!!!

I hope all of you can come out on Saturday and support us! We are going to need it! See ya there.

Till then Go TexAnns!!!!!!!

Dingler talks: Feb. 19, 2009

Last night was a big night for TexAnn basketball! We knew we had to win in order to stay alive in the LSC South, and we proved we could.

This game was important, not only because we neeeded a win, but the fact that we were raising awareness for breast cancer as well. It's such a good cause and something I'm glad we are apart of. We all know someone with cancer and the WBCA's Pink Zone is a great way to support the cause.

I have lost two very close family-friends to breast cancer, so it's something very dear to my heart! It is also nice to honor a great coach like Kay Yow and stand up for what she believed in. It was a great night overall and a huge success. Thanks to Coach Wilhelm - she has a great heart and did a great job setting everything up and dressing us in pink!

The game went great. We really came out strong and did what we needed to do. Sonya played great not only scoring, but she did a nice job finding the open player. JoAnne did very well and had a double-double in helping us with our win. I'm proud of everyone and we just need to keep it up in these final two games!

We get this weekend off to rest and get ready for the upcoming week! Hopefully we can win and continue our season through the conference tournament.

Thanks for all the fans who came tonight and donated money for breast cancer. Also thanks to all the breast cancer survivors for coming - it's good to see all the support.

Untill then, Go TexAnns.

Dingler talks: Feb. 16, 2009

Saturday's loss was a tough one to swallow. We came into this game knowing that we had a real good chance to win, but somehow it just got away from us.

I wish it would have turned out differently, but we just have to let this one go and start preparing for the next one. We play Abilene Christian on Wednesday and this will be a very crucial game for us to win!

Canyon is a hard place to play in. No more games for me there, but I just hope next year Tarleton will come out on top.

I want to thank the Parker family - Lisa's family; and the Skarke famil - Tori's family meeting us at our hotel and feeding us a home cooked meal. It was very good and we all enjoyed it, so thanks!

Thanks for all the fans who came out to support us. Everyone be sure to come out on Wednesday and help us support breast cancer awareness!

Till then Go TexAnns!

TexAnns back in LSC Tournament talk

With their two wins over Midwestern State last week, the TexAnns are officially back into the mix for a Lone Star Conference Tournament berth.

As of Monday, Feb. 9, the TexAnns are tied with Texas A&M-Kingsville for the fourth spot in the south division. The Javelinas currently own the tie-breaker with their win over the TexAnns back on Jan. 14. Tarleton can erase that with a win in Kingsville on Feb. 25.

The TexAnns control their own destiny right now. If they continue to win, they will earn a spot in the tournament.

Dingler talks: Feb. 9, 2009

Playing a team two times in a row is really tough and trying to beat them twice is also extremely hard - but we did it!

If anything is different about us, it is that we are seeing now that we can actually do something in this conference. We see the goal and we are becoming more focused.

These next few games are really crucial. I know we can do it and don't want it to end. But if it does, I want it to end in a good way.

Everyone played well! I'm proud of everyone! Thanks for all the fans who came out! We appreciate it. See you guys on Wednesday.

Till then Go TexAnns!

Dingler talks: Feb. 4, 2009

A WIN FINALLY!!!!

If we needed to win a game - tonight was the night where we had to turn things around!

It felt good to win one. Tonight I really felt like we were all on the same page! I'm proud of everyone tonight! We had everyone step in and help out and that's what it takes to be a solid team! The bench helped out so much. Sonya did awesome - she did everything tonight! She stepped up in a big way. JoAnne did also. She held her own against some verystrong post players.

Once again we have to put this one behind us because we have to play MSU again on Saturday at home. It's a tough turnaround to play a team back to back, but we are ready for the challenge.

Thanks to all the fans that came out tonight! Saturday night is "purple out" so everyone wear your purple! See you then.

Till then Go TexAnns!

Dingler talks: Jan. 29, 2009

Last night'ss game was a tough one.

Things are not going well for us right now. I can't even begin to tell you how many games we have lost under 10 points! It's really unbelievable that we keep coming up short. Hopefully we can turn things around and get out of this slump.

It was a good game. ACU is a very good and determined team, but it will be a different game when they come play us on our home court. Shelby and JoAnne both had a really good game.

Again, I think we are a great team - but I also think that our conference is really tough. Everyone is good and anyone can win.

Thanks to everyone who came out to Abilene. The game against Midwestern will be a better one.

Till then Go TexAnns!

Dingler talks: Jan. 25, 2009

HEART... That is what our team showed on Saturday night. Everything about that game was going our way and everyone fought really hard to win. We just fell short. Even though we lost I was really proud of the team and their efforts. This game was important to all of us and it showed.

Every time I have played WT it has always been a rivalry with them. I always want to beat them. They are a good team and in the past years have always been the team to beat! I think when we travel to WT it will be a different story.

We had a lot of people do good tonight! Shelby again had a great game and showed a lot of heart. I'm proud of this team and can't wait to play WT again!

Thanks for the all the support we had, it is always nice to see a full crowd watching our game! Tuesday is going to be another tough game so hope to see you all there.

Till then Go TexAnns!

Dingler talks: Jan. 22, 2009

Our last trip to Eastern New Mexico was a good one! We pulled off a win, and to everyone it felt good. It was good to know that all of our hard work that we had been putting into basketball finally paid off.

I can now say I will not have to take/make that 7 hour bus ride again. It's kind of sad if you think about it. This year and every other year goes by so fast! Time really does fly.

About the game... all of us were ready to play and win because we were tired of falling short in the last few seconds! We started the game off strong and did well throughout the whole game. A lot of people stepped up for us on Wednesday. Lisa Parker did awesome and Kelsey Benford came off the bench playing very strong! It's good to know that we have that much depth to help us win! Sonya did well too, they just called too many fouls on her! But Shelby finished strong... Lisa scored when we needed her too... and Kelsey came out ready to play and made some crucial shots and some important rebounds! Tori played solid just like she always does. I'm proud of everyone.

Even though we had a 7 hour trip on the way home I could handle it following our win! Thanks for the support we had at the game. That trip wasn't easy on you all either!

We all slept on the way home and pulled into Stephenville at 6:15 the next morning! We had a light practice and film session on Thursday and we are all ready to play West Texas A&M! We have always had a rivalry with them and I think it's about time we beat them. It's set up perfect - we are at home, its a Saturday and we are coming off of a win! I'm ready and so is the whole team.

See you guys then! Be sure to wear your white as we "White Out" the gym on Saturday.

Till then Go TexAnns!

Dingler talks: Jan. 19, 2009

So second conference game was on Saturday. We had a little shoot around that morning to get ready for the game and I thought we were prepared. Former TexAnn Katie Crawford showed up to shoot around to tell us all good luck as she stopped to say "hello." It was nice to see her.

The trip to San Angelo wasn't too bad, only 3 hours and this time we had plenty of time to warm up and get ready. After our loss to Kingsville we knew we had to step up and win this game.

Starting off the game both teams seemed to drag a little - it wasn't until after halftime that everyone started to play together and seem to go all out.

Every time I have played Angelo, it has always been a tough game and always a close one. It comes to within a few points and that's what happened on Saturday. It came down to defense and I thought as a team we did a great job. We worked in the last practices on defense and that helped us. At the end we didn't have enough points to win. I missed a free throw and I tried to take a charge - but I was called for a block instead. Believe me - I'm disappointed! But we just have to forget about this one and get ready for the next game on Wednesday. It's going to be tough game and a really long ride to get there - Eastern New Mexico!

Thanks for all the fans who came on Saturday. We appreciate it! See you soon.

Till then Go TexAnns!

Dingler talks: Jan. 14, 2009

Getting up this morning and heading to shoot around we all had one thing in mind and that was this game tonight. First conference game of the year, it's a big deal. I believe it sets the tone of how conference will go. We had a shoot around this morning and we knew we couldn't take this team too lightly. All of us were excited, and ready to make our mark in the Lone Star Conference.

During the game I thought during the first half we played real well! We had the momentum going into halftime but Kingsville wasn't going to go anywhere! They came out the second half and shot really good and took over the game. We couldn't score it seemed like! JoAnne and Shelby did great - JoAnne with 25 points and Shelby with 18 points and 8 steals. It was awesome. I feel like the whole team did very well tonight, I thought we never gave up and played our hardest.

I believe that the Lone Star Conference is one of the best, most competitive conferences that is out there. Any game on any night with any team anyone can win. Playing all my years here I have witnessed how important each game is and can be. But unfortunately tonight we didn't pull out on top!

Emotions are high right now, everyone is sad, mad, angry and upset that we didn't win tonight and that is understandable. We wanted this game and we didn't give up. But in reality we have to put this game behind us and focus on what is coming up with Angelo State on Saturday and again it is another conference game that we all need to be focused on. We have two full practices in the next two days and we will do nothing but get better and be ready on Saturday.

Thanks for all the fans who came tonight, the gym was full and it was a fun game to play in front of everyone. Tarleton has so much spirit and support it is a great atmosphere to play in, I love it! We will see you all on Saturday when we play Angelo.

Till then, Go TexAnns!!! :)

Rowdy headed to town Wednesday

Dallas Cowboys' mascot Rowdy will join the Texans and TexAnns and all the Tarleton fans on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 6 and 8 p.m. as the two teams open Lone Star Conference South Division play at home against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Come join us!

Dingler Talks: Jan. 11, 2009

Today was a fullfilled day! I Got up pretty early, hopped on the bus, ate breakfast in Stephenville and headed out to Oklahoma for our game at Cameron.

Once we finally made it to Lawton, we didn't have much time before we had to be on the court - Gametime!

Being such a young team, Coach Wilson gave me some good advice to tell the team right before the game. We had to take this game seriously and not jump ahead of ourseleves and not to take people too lightly. She sure was right. This team was good and we had to fight to win this game!

Both teams struggled shooting the whole game and it made us have to win the game on the defensive end. You can have a bad offensive game but you should never have a bad defensive game. If you were at the game you saw Tomika step up and help us out by playing great defense! Let's just say we were all proud of her as she kept us in the game by guarding their quickest player! Good job Tomika!!!!

Winning this game was fun. It was such a close one I was glad to come out on top! Thanks for all the Tarleton fans that came! Cameron's gym was loud and it was nice to hear some purple-cheering fans!

This trip was a good trip as a team. We had our own bus so we had a lot of space. We had a lot of team bonding - playing pointless little games and getting to know each other better. We got to get a little snack at Coach Hearne's favorite place on the way back (Braum's). I think it was because his birthday is tomorrow! :) shhhh!

We get a day off tomorrow. This will be a good rest for all of us just finishing 4 games in 7 days! A little stressful on us all. Plus school starts back up on Monday! We all need this day to get back to normal! Sleep!!!!!!

Conference (South Division play) begins on Wednesday! I'm excited, the team is excited and to top it off it's at home! Kingsville is going to be tough but I think we will be just fine! We need to work hard and it'll come!

Well thanks again everyone for coming to Cameron and we will see you all Wednesday!

Go TexAnns!!

Happy birthday Coach Hearne!

Dingler talks: Jan. 9, 2009

This trip to Oklahoma was a true test of what kind of team we are and what kind of team we will be in the future.

We played Southeastern Okla. on Monday in a game that I would say wasn't our best!! So playing Southwestern Okla., we needed to prove who we were as a team.

We won! - and we answered any questions I had of what kind of team we are going to be in conference! As long as we work hard, stay focused and all have the same goal of winning we will be just fine.

After tonight's game, coach Hearne told us that we were prepared and did a good job turning around so fast on a loss. For us as players and a team, he tells us that we must have short-term memory loss - meaning if we lose, we can't stay mad and upset for long. We have put it behind us and get ready and prepare for the next game coming up. But it is the same with winning as well. We need to use this win as a stepping stone to get ready for our last crossover game - and for conference (it's coming up so soon)!!!

Tonight's game was a good one. JoAnne stepped up and played awesome. Also the bench stepped up. Everyone was prepared to come in and it was fun to see everyone get in and play. I was proud of everyone tonight. It sure makes a five-hour trip on a bus a lot easier. But tomorrow is another day and another practice to get prepared for Cameron on Saturday.