Senior Letter: Jessica Leish

A letter written by Jessica Leish. Senior night will be Saturday Nov. 25 at 7PM vs. Michigan State.

This may sound cliché, but I really never thought that my time to write this letter would come so fast. I wish I could go back and kick myself when I used to roll my eyes at people who told me that these four years would be some of the fastest. But here we are. I haven't loved every second of it all, but man am I forever thankful for every second.

To our loyal fans: we are indebted to you for your unbreakable support. You have been with us through the good times and the not so great. I'm sure a large portion of you have been hit by one of our balls spewing into the RedZone during warm-ups, have sat through crazy heat in UGym, and have seen some really tough losses. However, I know an even larger portion of you all have witnessed us make huge strides in our journey, have been overcome with the electric energy that UGym creates on a packed night, and have felt the true love and passion for the game that our program has, and I know that is why you continue to stay. So thank you. You mean more to us than I think you know.

To the support staff: I am still amazed at how much work goes on behind closed doors. To this day I find myself learning about things that are done for us that I had no idea about. So many of you spend your days so that we have the best experience possible, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you. You don't get thanked enough.

To our coaches: you gave me an opportunity that I had dreams about growing up. To allow me to represent this school with the sport that I love so dearly is one of the greatest gifts I have received. I know I didn't always do this, but I hope you know that at the end of the day, I wanted to make you proud. I saw, and continue to see, how much you truly care for this program, and work so tirelessly to make it what we all want it to be. You all have taught me so much about not only volleyball, but life in general. You allowed me to pursue my dream job this past summer, and I can't thank you enough for that. I feel ready for the next chapter in life, and it is largely in part of how much you all have taught me.

To my family: I would have never ever gotten to this day if it wasn't for you all. I am so lucky to have such a supportive family. Nick and Daniel, thank you for toughening me up when we were younger; it comes in handy a lot. Grandma, you believed I was the best player to step foot in the gym always, and I'm so lucky to have someone who believes in me that much, even when I didn't believe in myself. Aunt Julie, your humor, unconditional support, and fellow love for trashy reality TV shows have gotten me through some really tough times. I'm so thankful for that. Mom and Dad: You guys have been rock stars throughout this journey. You have been the first to be there when I need someone to cry to, and the first to be there to celebrate my accomplishments. I'm so lucky to have parents who have taught me how to be so positive in any situation, because I know that is the trait that has helped me most throughout my collegiate career. I love you all so much and never understand how I got so lucky to have a group of people love me the way you do.

Lastly but definitely not least, to my team: I really hope you guys can even come close to knowing how unbelievably proud I am to call you my teammates. People always ask me what I have loved about this journey, and the first thing I always say is how I have made bonds and friendships that I know for a fact I would have never made if I didn't choose this path to play volleyball here. You guys are so crazy talented and amaze me every day in practice and games. You each have something that you bring to the table that helps this team more than I think some of you know. Promise me you guys will believe in yourselves as much as I believe in you. You guys are too talented, hardworking, and smart not to. I cannot thank you enough for being such unbelievable teammates and friends. You guys have a way of turning any bad day into one full of laughs and support, and I am really going to miss that. I love each of you so much, and will be your number one fan next year. Keep BELIEVING in the WORK and in YOURSELVES!

Indiana University Athletics

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