Concordia University outside hitter Raina Hein (Minnetonka, Minn.) will enter her second year of blogging. Her first blogging experience chronicled Concordia University's run to an NCAA Division II National Championship. Her blog made a splash, as she was identified by NCAA.com to blog for the NCAA's official website in 2008.
Visit the official NCAA.com blog website for Raina Hein provided below, or read about her experiences in helping Concordia to their first Division II National Championship.
2008 NCAA.com Blog - Raina Hein
Day Six - Sunday, December 2, 2007 - 10:30 p.m.
Travel Day
Yesterday, right after I was done writing about our pre-game lounging around, Kasey (Woodcock), Meghan (Ellis) and I decided to have a “jumping on the bed contest” and take pictures of each other flying through the air. It was a pretty entertaining and amusing time.
After that extravaganza, I went back into my own room to watch some television with Maria (Steinhagen).
Finally, the time came for us to go meet in the lobby to depart for the mall. This time around, the mall wasn’t as desolate as before. There was actually a lot of commotion. Whitney (Meierotto) and I purchased best friend friendship rings. They are so totally rad. The team walked around for a little less than an hour then met up at the food court to eat at…Subway….AGAIN!
After our lunch gathering, we stepped out into the
We made our way over to the gym. I DJ’d it up in the training room and got everyone pumped up (not like we weren’t already or anything). The team then made our way to the locker room and we got even more pumped with our sweet dance skills.
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Raina receives her NCAA Champion |
We ended our season in hold of a National Title. The feeling was indescribable. I can’t even explain how breathtaking it was. I didn’t even know what to do.
The team stuck around the gymnasium for pictures and socializing with parents, friends, and significant others. After about an hour, we finally left, with the 1st place trophy in our possession.
We arrived at the hotel, and within minutes, all of us girls jumped on the waterslide and had a party in the pool. We were so loud, especially after singing “We Are the Champions”, that the security guard had to come and ask us to quiet down. Everyone was there watching us celebrate our well-earned victory. The party room was given to us and 25 pizzas were ordered. The rest of the night was dedicated to celebration and excitement.
We woke up this morning around 7 a.m. and headed off to the airport. The flight went well. Our taxi-cabs maneuvered us through the massive amounts of snow back to the
As of right now, I am back in my own room in
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The 2007 NCAA Division II Volleyball National Champions!!! |
Thank you all for your support and wishes. I hope you enjoyed my blogging. Thanks again to all and to all a good night.
Over and out.
Day Five - Saturday, December 1, 2007 - 11:30 p.m.
Championship Match - Concordia 3, Western Washington 1
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Raina and her teammates cheer on the Golden Bears late in the deciding |
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I shall write more tomorrow.
Have a splendid evening.
Day Five - Saturday, December 1, 2007 - 1:45 p.m.
Pre-Match - Championship Day - Concordia vs. Western Washington
I pretty much didn’t sleep more than 3.12 hours last night.
I was, and still am, SO excited.
We have been lounging around in our rooms ever since we woke up. Television, p
We have all heard about the immense precipitation of snow back in
As for right now, we are still lounging around. The team will be meeting downstairs in the lobby at 3 p.m. We will be going back to the depressive and empty
After our dining, we will make our way over to the gym where we will once again prepare for our match.
Hopefully we come out just as fired up as we did yesterday and play with as much heart and passion as we always do.
I really don’t have too much more to write at this moment.
IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN.
Day Four - Friday, November 30, 2007 - Midnight
Gameday - Semifinal Round - Concordia vs. West Texas A&M
We ended up eating at subway...again. Weird.
But that’s okay because WE ARE GOING TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!!! Yeeeehhhaaww!!!
After lunch, we slid on over to the gym where we prepared ourselves for our 4 p.m. game. After visiting the trainers’ room for our plethora of injuries, we got all pumped up for the big match.
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Raina provides the dancing and cheering on the sidelines for CU | ||
Warm ups went well. There was a lot more dancing than usual (see above). The first and second games went very well. We played with a lot of passion and fire. The third game however, didn’t go as well as the first two. We lost with a score of 29-31.
Then the reality of what would happen if we won this match, started to set in.
Thankfully, we dominated them in the fourth game, and won the match! Everyone was ecstatic at the triumphant victory (see celebration photos below).
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After the match, we greeted our many super fans (below) that drove down to see us play. We then watched Western Washington play Washburn. Western Washington ended up unexpectedly winning in front of Washburn’s enormous crowd in four, teeth clenching games.
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The CU Superfans have worn the volleyball jersey's all season |
After this, we gathered our belongings and made our way over to Outback Steakhouse. Dinner was splendidly superb. Everyone ate heartily including coach Mandy Horazdovsky (coach George Padjen's fiancé) and Penny Starkey (Brady’s wife) who also came along.
The most exciting part of dinner was daring Meghan (Ellis) to eat a loaf of bread and her entire meal (which consisted off an extremely and massively large burger and fries). If she completed this task, I promised her that I would mention her in this blog. Halfway through her meal I could tell she was getting extremely full. I asked, “Are you full yet?” She answered abruptly, “Let me focus! I am as empty as a bucket!” She did end up finishing it all. Sadie (Kessler) was also given a dare, which was to eat an entire cup of hot sauce, and she was about to do so until Brady told her not to.
After dinner, we bounced back over to our hotel. The team attended our usual team meeting in one of our rooms. We are all so unbelievably excited and raring to go for tomorrow night's game. We then, dipped back into our own rooms to shower, talk on the phone, think about tomorrow’s match against Western Washington, watch some television, and ice bathe (Maria Steinhagen). Meghan kindly washed all of our jerseys so we wouldn’t smell during tomorrow’s game. Kate (Bennett), Maria and I then watched a creepy movie that I very much and 100% did not enjoy at all.
As of right now, my roommates are sleeping and I would very much like to be doing the same. So, I am going to end tonight’s blog and give you more information tomorrow. Have a stellar night!
Over and out.
Day Four - Friday, November 30, 2007 - 12:45 p.m.
Pre-Match - Semifinal Round - Concordia vs. West Texas A&M
Last night, we watched three games of the
Our Expeditions brought us over to Olive Garden where we had a magnificent and hearty dinner. We decided that it would be quite comical to tell our waiter that it was Brady’s (Starkey) birthday, even though it was not. Our waiter then brought out a small chocolate cake for him while we all vociferously sang him “Happy Birthday”. Of course, he let us eat his cake, (which was the real reason we told our waiter it was his birthday).
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Raina warming up before |
When we got back to the hotel, Brady’s first words were, “All I know is…that my cheeks hurt, from laughing so much.” It was quite the side-splitting time.
The team went up into a room to have a quick team meeting. After this, we all prepared ourselves for bed. We all woke up from 10:00-11:00 a.m. It was a loungy-ish morning.
We are now all ready to head off to lunch. Hopefully it’s not subway!!! After lunch, we will be heading over to the gym to play West Texas A&M at 4 p.m. No one is looking forward to their numerous semi-annoying cheerleaders. They do however, perform super-neat-o backflips. But besides that, they have “GOT TO GO” as Sadie would say.
Anyhow, got to run! Off to lunch with the team. I’ll blog more after the match.
Day Three - Thursday, November 29, 2007 - 7:30 p.m.
Gameday - Quarterfinal Round - Concordia vs. California, Pa.
Mostly everyone slept like a very heavy stone last night. This morning, everyone actually woke up on time. We went to breakfast once again at the
We ate a light breakfast and arrived at the gym a little earlier than planned. Most of us went right to the trainers’ room to get our boo-boo’s all fixed by Brian (The most magnificent trainer ever). Then we went into the locker room only to find bags for us all, which were filled with a padded NCAA seat cushion, a NCAA backpack/suitcase and a small knapsack.
After our excitement of getting free stuff, we strutted into the gym. We stepped on the court at 11:10 a.m. Warm-ups went well. They played some great songs that we of course boogied-down to.
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Raina goes for an attack during warm-ups in the Elite Eight Quarterfinals |
Our match started at noon and ended around 1:30 p.m. We won all three games right away. The energy in the gym wasn’t as lively as we had hoped for or we were used to. This caused us to play with less energy than we would have liked to. It was by no means a “pretty game”, but none the less, we persevered and got a “W”.
We now advance to the final four to play West Texas A&M at 4 p.m. YAY!
After our match, we went to subway and ate there. This is weird because we never eat at subway (100% sarcasm).
After subway, we flocked back over to the gym to watch West Texas A&M play
After the match, the team slid into our sports utility vehicles which transported us back to the hotel. In my car, we once again had a dance party (with me of course being the DJ with Whitney’s (Meierotto) good-looking iPod in the passengers seat). Brady once again, joined in once or twice…or three times. His most desired and requested song is Show Me the Money by Petey Pablo.
Anyhow, we arrived at the hotel around 5:30 p.m. Some girls went to the gas station to grab some grub because we won’t be eating until around 10 p.m. Snickers and Chex Mix really aren’t that bad for you. At 7:15 p.m. we will be meeting in the lobby to go over to the gym to watch
After this, we will go out to dinner somewhere. As for right now, all of us are sitting in our rooms watching TV or sleeping. In my room, Kate (Bennett) and Maria (Steinhagen) watched some TV, while Meghan (Ellis) gave me upside down corn rows. I definitely and undeniably, look like a gangster.
Everyone is tremendously excited for tomorrow. Hopefully we come out fired up and ready to go right off the bat. Well, off to meet the team down in the lobby.
Buenos Noches!
Day Two - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 10:30 p.m.
"Stage V: Credentials" - Banquet Night
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Raina (left) with Emily Palkert at the awards banquet |
Before we left, we finally were given our credentials (qualifications/identifications/permits on a necklace, to get into the gym for the tournament). We were all pretty darn excited because for some reason, our team loves credentials. Emily even sleeps in hers. You should all expect to see us wearing them when we get back.
The banquet went very well. We were served an interesting side salad with a zesty sauce. For the main course we had steak, chicken, potatoes, and veggies. However, I am almost certain that the chicken was not chicken. It had somewhat of a bounce to it…literally. Anyhow, I managed to somehow get two pieces of cheesecake which pretty much made my night.
Each team gave a speech. Maria (Steinhagen) and Blair (Murphy) were our speakers (pictured, right). They did a marvelously-superb job. Everyone’s speech included the usual, “I am so grateful for this opportunity” and “I feel so privileged to be here”. But of course, being the sprightly and witty team we are, we spiced things up a bit and told a story of the “stages” of our season. The speech loosened everyone up and even received a couple chuckles.
After all that jazz, awards were then given to 3rd, 2nd and 1st team all-Americans. Then, Freshman of the Year and National Player of the Year were handed out. Congratulations to
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Maria Steinhagen |
Maggie McNamara |
Emily Palkert |
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AVCA All-Americans: |
As for right now, we all just got back to our rooms from our team meeting, or Brady’s prolonged talk, whatever you want to call it. Before Brady got there, we were attempting to learn how to “walk it out” by looking up music videos. We were unsuccessful.
Everyone is now ready for bed, and we are all rather worn out from the lengthy day. Everyone is excited for tomorrow. We have breakfast at 9 a.m., pre-game practice at 11:10 a.m. and our match against California University of Pennsylvania at noon.
Now, everyone is on the phone with their boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, or “significant others” and it is very amusing listening to all of these conversations, (even though I shouldn’t be). This is okay though, because I am writing this blog which obviously makes me feel super cool.
Day Two - Wednesday, November 28, 2007 - 4:30 p.m.
I woke up this morning to Kate (Bennett) saying, “GET RAINA UP”. Apparently, we had 5 minutes to get downstairs to meet for breakfast. The
We got done and hopped into our sparkly black Ford Expeditions, while Josh (Deer) and Brian (Johnson) slid into their red Hummer H3.
We arrived at the gym around 9 a.m. Brian (The best trainer in the whole world) attended to all of our injuries, while the rest of us just goofed off as usual. We stepped on the court at exactly 10 a.m. with only 55 minutes on the clock. Practice went well. The gym is very big, and it has a good feel to it.
Afterwards we got super-duper-neat backpacks with mini volleyballs inside. We left the gym and got back to our hotel with enough time to take a shower and a 1 hour nap (which went WAY too fast).
We were told to meet in the lobby at 2 p.m. However, three of the freshmen didn’t show. George (Padjen) was hungry so he got pretty T’d off. The team then left for Chili’s where we all ate far too much. Our server was quite the character. He seemed to be pretty pumped for us.
After lunch, we went to
We left at 3:30 and are all now back at the hotel. As Maria (Steinhagen), Kate and I walked into our room, we noticed that room service had come, and that they had made popcorn in here, (Because it definitely reeks of buttered popcorn).
Anyhow, there is a banquet tonight which all the teams are attending. We are all acquired to dress up (Including Brady – weird!!!). We are all anxiously awaiting to see if he will wear a tie. We will be meeting in the lobby at 6:30 p.m. This banquet consists of all 8 teams and their coaches, which starts at 7 p.m. We are supposed to provide a speech for everyone, which Maria is working on right now. However, we do not know for sure who is going to be the speaker yet. We were thinking Blair (Murphy), but that might be too risky.
As for right now, we have a little over two hours before we have to meet, so most of us are taking another nap.
Day One - Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - Midnight
I walked into our locker room before our last home practice and saw bags and bags. The small room was packed with all of our luggage and volleyball gear. Practice went very well. There was a ton of energy and excitement within us all as we knew we were leaving for Topeka in a couple of hours.
We arrived at the airport in four cabs (some with very interesting drivers). We all got through check-in without being frisked or searched (which is usually extremely uncommon for our team). Then we went right to Chili's to eat dinner, only to find that it was full. So, the team went to the food court. Some of us ate Chinese, others pasta, and the rest, Burger King.
After dinner, we went to our gate and waited. We sat there for a while amusing each other with silly stories and such when suddenly Brady (Starkey) (who is pretty much deaf) said to us all, “Hey guys, did you just hear that announcement about a flight to Kansas City?” Everyone replied, “…No”.
Thankfully, Brady had someone ask a flight attendant if there was in fact an announcement, and if we were at the right gate. Of course, we were at the wrong gate and Brady ordered us to “sprint” to our other gate. So, all thirteen of us, went sprinting down the airport hallway with our bags and all to our correct gate.
We got there and it didn’t look too promising. The door was already closed, and no one was left. Thankfully it wasn’t too late and there was still a flight attendant taking boarding passes. Five more minutes, and we would have been in quite the pickle.
The plane ride was quick and smooth, unlike our landing. We got back to our hotel after a one hour drive and a couple of toll booths. Three SUV's took us there.
The drive was probably the best part of my day because in my car, we had an iPod we played through the stereo and pretty much had a dance party/gangster rap session most of the way, (which I DJ’d by the way). Brady didn’t seem opposed to joining in once or twice.
We arrived at our hotel at about 11:30pm. It is nice, but very small. The beds are definitely on the smaller side of things. But I don’t mind, because I am sharing one with Maria (Steinhagen). Now, I am all snuggled in and ready for a good night's sleep. We have to wake up at 7:30 a.m. for an 8:00 a.m. breakfast and 55 minute practice at 10:00 a.m.
Gnight!
