Seniors Pen Goodbye to Indiana Volleyball

Ahead of Sunday's (November 19th) senior day, Indiana volleyball's departing players give their thoughts and thank you to the program. A class meshed of transfers and four-year players leaves having improved the program's win total every year since they got here. Indiana volleyball is in better hands and in a better place because of these five players.

#22 Lopez, Isa
There are not enough words that can describe the amount of love I have for the program, university, coaches and teammates. To the managers, practice players and everyone who works behind the scenes at keeping IUVB going, I am forever thankful. My journey is complicated, filled with hope, uncertainty, frustrations, growth, and love but I would not have it any other way because I was surrounded by the best people.

In 2021, I transferred to IU in the summer to continue my collegiate volleyball career. Everyone knows that. But what you might not know is that I was struggling to find the love and passion for playing volleyball again. 2020-2021 was a hard year for me as it was for most people in the world. It was filled with uncertainty of where life would take me next after learning that my previous school's volleyball program had been cut. Playing in the spring of 2021, knowing that it could have been the last time I would play volleyball, took a toll on me mentally even before I made any decision to play at another school. Living in the present was a clear struggle for me. Steve [Aird] gave me an incredible opportunity and what stood out to me was that he was in the process of rebuilding a program. I immediately knew I wanted to play for him, I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself and I wanted it to be tough.

The first major obstacle that I faced was dislocating my shoulder a month after I arrived at IU in the summer. Adjusting is always difficult and injury on top of trying to quickly adjust from transferring was not something I could have anticipated. As cliche as it sounds, fearlessly working hard is in my DNA. I immediately began rehabbing and strengthening my shoulder because I wanted to play volleyball and enjoy it again. That was all I was focused on. I still did not have many strong relationships at the time due to my own doing because I was so focused on trying to get better and have some sort of contribution to the team (that was my mindset at the time). Months later I dislocated my shoulder again and surgery was non-negotiable this time around. So, I physically could not play volleyball and was out rehabbing for six months. My life post-surgery is perhaps where I began my true growth as an individual and athlete with the help of the program.

Something that Steve always says is "be where your feet are." It was not something that I took to heart until then. One of our old strength trainers told me that volleyball was out of my control now because I was unable to play but what I could control and divert my focus on was my mental toughness. For the longest time, I kept choosing to focus on all but the present, and it would leave me worse off every time. I realized everything is a choice. You must actively choose what is right for you and stay consistent with it. That does not mean there will not be hard days. It is about getting back on your feet and still choosing what you want no matter how many times you get knocked down. It's about asking yourself; how much do you want it? I began to focus on what can I do TODAY to be 1% better for not only myself, but for my team. To do that, I needed to grow more in my relationships with my teammates. In doing so, I quickly realized how supportive they were and that I did not have to go through things alone. I wanted to be there for them as much as they were for me. Even though I was not physically on the court, I found and embraced the ways that I could be there for them off the court.

When I was able to play again, I was honestly more scared than I let on. The fear of getting hurt again and then just trusting my shoulder again was creeping at the forefront of my brain. Looking back at that time, around May 2022, my teammates and coaches saved me. They continuously worked with me, pushing me and my shoulder but in a comfortable way, to where I could trust my shoulder again while getting reps for my skill. Soon enough, I began fully playing as if I was never hurt. Day by day, my love for volleyball began to grow increasingly, but my love for the game did not grow solely because I was playing again, it was because I got to be in a competitive environment and play with the people that I love and trusted, growing and learning with them. I know that I would not be where I am without my teammates, coaches, and strength and athletic trainers. I heavily attribute my growth to them. There are countless reasons as to why I love and cherish everyone who is a part of IUVB. It is the hard-working mentality that everyone has and the desire to push each other to make others better on and off the court. It is truly a "putting others first environment", constantly giving without expecting anything in return. The IUVB environment is truly special.

As we all know, life isn't perfect and there have been days where I didn't want to get up in the mornings, where I was mentally or physical at empty, but it would be of the utmost disrespect to myself and the people around me to not get up and give it my all, whether that is 100% of the 75%, 40%, or 100% I have that day. Surround yourself with people who push you to be better than you were yesterday and who are with you not only through all the successes, but failures as well and be a part of something bigger than yourself. That is what IUVB is to me. If you get a chance to meet anyone a part of IUVB, whether that is the coaching staff, supporting staff, the people who support us, and my teammates, you will know and understand why I get up in the mornings every day. I get up in the mornings because I have the burning desire to be better for them, no matter what environment we are in. Each one of them deserves more credit than they take. We went through countless changes, but at the end of the day we always had each other. Being a part of IUVB is more than just playing volleyball here, it is the relationships that I have made, the lessons that I have learned, and my growth, and to be able to call IU my home away from home.

Although I am graduating soon and leaving, arriving at my next chapter in life, my heart will never leave this program. We have been through a lot together and it is so easy to just give up and find somewhere or something that gives you immediate but temporary satisfaction. The willingness to come back and work every day makes the difference and cultivates an environment filled with growth, even though you may not see it right away. If you were not willing to work, you would never see it at all. I am so blessed and just proud of how far we have come over the past few years. Although it is far from over, I know that you all will never quit fighting, no matter how hard it gets. That is what I cherish most about IUVB: the resilience, toughness, and unwavering support on the good and bad days. The forever lasting memories and relationships I have made since choosing to come to IU makes everything worth it, and I would choose IUVB infinite times over again if I had the chance.

#15 Kjolhede, Savannah
When I first touched the court as a 12 year old in Colleyville Texas, I never dreamed that I would be standing here today as a senior at Indiana University. It is my fourth year of collegiate volleyball in the best conference for 18-to-22 year olds. I will never forget the first call I had with Steve Aird my sophomore year of high school that would forever change my life for the next seven years.

Being a student-athlete at Indiana offers so much more than just the high-end facilities, faculty, and a once in a lifetime experience. It is a home away from home. Looking back on my recruiting process and the boxes I was looking to be "checked off", Indiana has met and exceeded each and every aspect of what I was looking for in a school and a volleyball program.

From the coaches who believed in me as a six-foot-three scrawny kid who liked to hit balls over the net and play back row triples, to the new coaches and players we have on the team this year; my support system through my volleyball career has been more than just mentors, but family to me. To all of my teammates that I have crossed paths with, I have learned so many valuable lessons from each and every one of you. Brooke Westbeld is as one of the best leaders and captains I have ever had. Elle Hillers is my emotional support human. Natalia Hagopian is the little sister I never knew I needed and Paula Cerame is my forever best friend. In my time here I couldn't have imagined spending it with better people who motivate and drive me to be the best human I can be.

This experience hasn't only taught me how to battle through tough practices, early workouts, and how to manage performing in front of thousands of people but has given me so many life lessons and people I am forever grateful for. I am so honored to have been able to be a part of growing this program to where we are now, and to hopefully leave a legacy for years to come.

#5 Hillers, Elle
Indiana is a special place. The university, the community and the culture here in Bloomington is something so rare and hard to find. I am so blessed that I was picked to help build a new culture for this program and I hope that my message leaves a lasting impact on years to come.

Four years and two knee surgeries later, I reflect on the memories I have made at IU and they are absolutely priceless. IU has become, and will remain, my home away from home and family away from family. The people around me are now stuck with me for life. I wouldn't trade any part of my experience for the world. Through my career, I have learned to love the grind and learn more about life than I ever anticipated the game could teach me.

When coach told me his vision for Indiana Volleyball, I was 14 years old, and I knew I was here to stay. I am so lucky that Steve [Aird] trusted in me and my potential to add value to this program. To my coaches, teammates (past and present), and my now forever family, I can't thank you enough.

IUVB, you have my heart for life. I am so excited about what the future holds for this program. the one thing I am most hopeful that I have done in my four years here is inspire joy.

To the teammates I am leaving behind, please always remember: it's okay laugh at yourself, you're never too cool to dance on the sidelines, keep telling people you love them, always say "thank you", and always, always, always keep trying to make each other smile.

Thank you, IUVB.

#18 Rammelsberg, Kaley
Indiana volleyball has been my home these last three years and it's crazy to think that I am about to leave. I can't imagine not coming into practice every day and seeing Amanda's smiling face, Grae's goofy dancing in the locker room, watching Aiden run to get a ball in the middle of the court and accidentally kicking it into Isa's face or having Kona greet me like I'm her favorite person in the world; even though we all know I'm not. I have countless memories here, good and bad, and learned so many life lessons that I will cherish forever. No, not every memory here was good, but you have to have the bad days to make the good days even better and my good days at IU are some of the best I've ever had. It's so surreal to think I'm actually leaving because I never felt like this day would come. For so long, I pretended that I was going to stay here forever so I wouldn't start crying thinking about leaving my second family. But I don't think they would allow me to do that.

I transferred into IU as a junior. Although I absolutely love it here now, IU didn't feel like home at first. Transferring is hard and a lot of people don't understand the struggle of leaving your best friends and everything that you know to come to a completely new place. With new people, new routines, and new everything. It was hard. Now I thank God that I did because I now have a second family and I also made one of my best friends in the entire world here. So first I want to say thank you to Isa. Isa, you were my rock the first semester here. I don't think I would've made it without you. You always had my back and stuck by me no matter what. Although you were also having a hard time with transferring, we had a hard time together, which made it so much better. I could always count on you no matter what and I am forever grateful that God put you in my life.

With all that being said, I grew to love it here. IU is my home away from home and the team are my sisters. So next, I want to say thank you to the rest of the team. I love each and every one of you more than you know. I loved coming to practice every day because that meant I would see you guys. Even on my bad days when I was grouchy or hangry you guys always made it better and you never gave up on me. Some of my favorite memories are goofing off with you guys. Each of you impacted me in your own way. I could always count on Morgan to do something goofy and stupid with. Ava always went along with my jokes and hyped me up when I was down. Grae never failed to make me laugh. Sav has pushed me to be better every single day since I got to IU. I could always count on Ashley, Fitz, and Haley to be doing something weird when I got home from practice that always made my day better. Although there is not enough time to go through each of you, I am so thankful for every single one of you. Thank you guys for pushing me to be my best and giving me such a great experience here that it makes it so hard to leave. I am so proud of each of you, and I cannot wait to see all that you guys accomplish. You are a special team and I know you're bound for greatness

Next, I want to say thank you to the coaches. You have made me into the player I am today, and I wouldn't be here without you. You took a chance on me, and I am forever grateful for that. I was a kid from a mid-major school that did not have much experience, but you believed in me and saw potential in me that I didn't see in myself. You guys have always been there for me, and I know that I can count on you for anything and not many people can say that about their coaches. You guys have made my love for volleyball even stronger because you made my experience so great. You guys have not only taught me how to be a better volleyball player but a better person. You have taught me so many valuable life lessons and how to have fun while also working as hard as one possibly can. You guys give your everything to this team and I could not be more grateful. You truly are the best coaches in the world. Thank you.

Now I want to say thank you to Eddie and Hallie. Hallie you are an amazing person, and you always make my day one-thousand times better after I see you. You work so hard and always have a smile on your face while you're doing it. I strive to be more like you. Eddie, I am so thankful for you. You have helped me to become a better athlete and person. You've pushed me beyond what I thought was capable. You helped me come back from my injury and regain confidence in myself when I was in a very tough place. You have taught me that I can take on any challenge and to have confidence in myself. You've showed me that you can have fun and work hard at the same time. Thank you.

Finally, I want to say thank you to Amanda. Amanda has been my best friend here since day one. She has been here with me through it all. She was here when I transferred in, when I was sick every month the first year and had to get covid tested about 500 times, when I got injured and now when I'm leaving. I'm going to miss coming into the training room and laughing with you every day, talking about the latest drama that I've heard and even sitting next to you on the bench and cheering with you when I was injured. You made IU feel like home when I never thought it could. You were there for me when I was singing and jumping through the training room and you were there for me when I was balling my eyes out because I never thought my ankle would get better. You never gave up on me and you've always had my back. I know I can count on you for anything and I'm so lucky to have you. Thank you for everything that you've done for me and for the team and more importantly thank you for making it so hard to leave IU because you're so amazing.

I've already written too much but I also want to say thank you to everybody else. Mattie White and Scott Dolson for always believing in us. Natalie for helping us with academics. Kourtney for keeping us well fed. Jared for growing our social media and always making us look good. Thank you, managers, practice players, and photographers. Some of you have become some of my best friends and I will miss seeing you every day. You guys always made my day so much better.
Thank you to all the event staff for making our games possible. And all our fans for making it so fun to play volleyball.

For my closing remarks I want to say thank you to IU volleyball as a whole. I want to say thank you for pushing me beyond my limits. Thank you for giving me my best friends who I would do anything for. Thank you for the best years of my life. Thank you for my coaches who I would consider a part of my family. Thank you for giving me the patients to grow through my mistakes and become the person I am today. Thank you for making it so hard to leave. Proud is an understatement of how I feel about this program. We have come so far and I'm so happy to have been a part of that, and I cannot wait to see all that you accomplish. I wouldn't trade a single day here to go anywhere else.

I will forever be a Hoosier.

#12 Gosnell, Grae
I want to start off by saying, although this is a letter of reflection and gratitude, we still have so much work to do, time to spend together, and memories to make. Not only that, not a single part of me growing up or being a senior means that my time as a Hoosier is coming to an end. If anything, where we are now, and what we have been able to achieve, is just the start of the Hoosiers making history.

When I was 15 years old, I had so many people doubt me, and put limitations on what they thought I was capable of achieving. Quite honestly, it was so easy to listen to all of the negative voices but I had my parents and siblings to help battle through all of the adversity. I just had to keep betting on myself, and continue believing that I had to be my biggest supporter and hype man if I wanted to get to all of the places I was told I would never reach. Then one Sunday afternoon, at your average Midwest volleyball tournament, the Hoosiers took a chance on me. I was given the opportunity to come see campus, meet the team, hear the building plans for Wilkinson Hall as it hadn't been built yet, see the locker room, and all of the other cool stuff you would expect on a visit. But little did I know, this trip would change my life forever. I pity those who don't get the opportunity to meet head coach Steve Aird. His selflessness and kindness off the court, as well as his competitiveness and want to win in the gym, is something within a coach that I wish I could share with every collegiate volleyball player to experience.

Not only am I thankful for Steve, I am so thankful for our staff in previous years who have helped me get to where I am now, and for the current staff whose support, encouragement, and faith in me has never wavered. From academics, to lifting, recovery, extracurricular, to volleyball, whatever it may be, there is always someone to offer their time to help get me into the best position I can to be my best self. To Amanda our trainer, the doctors in the South End Zone, experts in the weight room, professionals in Sports Psychology, our nutrition staff, media staff, academic advisors in Shuel, and everyone within the sports administration and ecosystem here at IU, thank you for being the glue that holds me together, and for helping me represent the Hoosiers in every way, to the best of my ability. To my teachers here at the University, I am endlessly grateful for you always working with me when I am in season, and even when I just simply needed help as a student.

To the Hoosier Alumni, I am honored to follow in your footsteps, and I hope I have continued to build the culture and make the future Hoosiers as excited for their career, at least as half as well as you did for me. To my teammates, past and present, every single one of you was, still are, and will continue to be invaluable to me. The wins, losses, heartbreaks, birthdays, travel trips, dinners, and all of the many other experiences we have had, and will continue to have together, have been some of the greatest moments of my life and I look forward to every second we still have to share together. Not all of it has been perfect and easy, but I am so happy to have learned those life lessons, and to have become closer to each of you through those hardships. If there is one thing that you as my teammates take away from me, it is that I love you unconditionally, and that I am always in your corner, even when you forget. There is nothing I want more than to see each of you succeed, and I could not be more proud of how far each of us have grown not just as volleyball players, but into strong and beautiful young women.

To the future generations of IUVB who are headed this way, there are no ways to fully articulate how this program has made me feel. There are no words to describe the venues you will play in, the relationships you will make, or the emotions you will feel through the wins and the losses. Although I can try my best, these things can only be felt and understood through experience, and I am so excited that you all get to experience these feelings soon. Hold your family tight because you will miss them when you go, but do not be afraid, the Hoosier family is waiting for you here with open arms. To all of the people and experiences that made me feel like I couldn't chase my dreams, at your misfortune I found the perfect university to prove you wrong. I will continue to bet on myself, but Indiana, thank you for betting on me too.

Indiana University Athletics

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