Kristina’s Kronicles: August 13, 2014

Good morning Eagles across the nation! My name is Kristina Hill and this is my blog that will be posted each Monday during the season. I hope that it will give you insight into the life of a Carson-Newman volleyball player. 

I will be a junior this fall, majoring in Fashion Merchandising and Design with a minor in Business. On the court I am a libero. I used to be a hitter but when I stopped growing my freshman year of high school and everybody else hit a growth spurt. To the back row I went. But I love protecting my court and being a defensive leader for my team! 

Like nine of the other girls on my team I am not originally from Tennessee. I was raised in Lake Orion, Mich. My desire to play collegiate volleyball sprouted in eighth grade when I made my first block. I will never forget that moment! However, I didn’t start perusing schools until my junior year with the help of my Club Program, Legacy Volleyball Club. LVC gave me the exposure, drive and experience that I needed to play with the big dogs. I was excited, nervous and anxious all at once to start my college search! Looking back, that was one of the most nerve racking times in my life, trying to find a school that I wanted and wanted me. But it taught me to get back up when I got rejected and to put my future in God’s hands. 

I found Carson-Newman on a college search engine. The recruiting process was not easy. I spent about a year waiting to hear if I could afford to play for Carson- Newman, especially because my parents would have four kids in college my freshman year. But becoming a Lady Eagle had been my top pick ever since I visited. I had that feeling the moment I stepped foot on campus. Carson-Newman was 10 hours away from home, yet I felt like I was in my backyard. From then on I knew that was where God wanted me to be. He can do amazing things when you place him in control of your life. 

I joke around saying that I came to Tennessee to get away from the Michigan weather, but I would have never come here if I didn’t have a family of teammates surrounding me. These girls help me get through tough times when I can’t get my dad’s embracive hug or mom’s caring shoulder to lean on. Instead I get Catch Phrase and a dance party with my fourteen sisters when I’m down south. That is a big reason why Carson-Newman is my home away from home. Because what is a home without family? 

If you would have told me ten years ago that I would be in East Tennessee playing collegiate volleyball I would have told you to take a hike but now I can’t see myself anywhere else. 

In this blog I am going to give you the raw and the nitty-gritty of life here at the Newman from the perspective of a volleyball player. Expect to hear struggles, trials and errors, wins, hopefully few losses and some funny stories along the way. 

Stay tuned to hear about our sure-to-be sore bodies in pre-season and eventually our trip to Cali! 

Thanks for reading,

Kristina (Tina) Hill

God Bless!

Throughout the 2014 volleyball season, junior libero Kristina Hill (Lake Orion, Mich.) will write about her experiences at Carson-Newman. A new installment will be released each Monday afternoon.