Marquette University Athletics
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10/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Entry # 8 -- Saturday, Dec. 23, 2007
By: Erin Monfre
It's Saturday night and I'm officially at home for my Christmas break with my family. Today, I kept busy around the house with my mom baking Christmas cookies, chocolate covered pretzles and my favorite - peanut butter cookies with the chocolate kiss in the middle! And, in between all the baking, I did about 10 loads of laundry I brought home with me...which is surprising cause I'm still the kid who has her mom doing her laundry :) I had to do something to keep me busy, I'm not used to having a full day of absolutely nothing planned. Which means tomorrow I'll be back in the gym to stay in shape and work on my shot!
This past week was our first week without classes, tests, quizzes and homework. It sure feels good! This break is all about our team spending even more time together than we already do and becoming even closer (if that's even possible :) ), and getting in the gym each day to continue to get better. This year's team has so much chemistry and we honestly enjoy each other's company when we're off the court away from the practices, workouts and lifts. Everyone is funny in her own way. We always are giving each other a hard time, and this year we even have players who think they can cook and bake!
Just the other night, Nelly, Paige and KE made brownies, peanut butter cookies and a huge tray of homemade rice krispie treats! So our team got together and all enjoyed the different desserts. But of course we did NOT in indulge before the night of a game! :)
Even though we are not in classes right now, our days are still pretty busy. I'll take you through a typical day during our break.
Every morning we are fortunate enough to have breakfast at The Al between 9-11 a.m. Our team all rolls in and eats together before heading down to the locker room to get ready for a shoot around practice. We'll usually shoot as a team from 11-12:30 and sometimes have film in that gap of time also. After shooting we break for lunch, naps, or whatever you need to do to get ready for our afternoon practice. I usually grab lunch and head back to my apartment to relax with a few teammates.
Then it is time to get back to the "The Al" for afternoon practice. After practice we head over to the Union for training table. Training table is another balanced meal provided for us each night after practice and another opportunity to be together as a team as we eat. Before you know it, another long day has passed. At night we'll usually watch a movie, go to a movie or just relax and hang out. I haven't decided which is better....classes all day then practice and homework, or two practices a day and spending quality time with my teammates!
Well, that's about it!
MU Fans- Thank you for all your support you continue to give our program! As we head home for the holidays and spend a few days with our families, who mean so much to us, we hope you all enjoy this holiday season as well!
God Bless, Merry Christmas and see you all January 2nd against Western Michigan!
Erin
Entry # 7 -- Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007
By: Marissa Thrower
This week was a very busy week for the women's basketball team. After coming back from a great win over Green Bay, it was time to focus on Kansas. The entire week we prepared for the Jayhawks. The coaches created a competitive environment in practice so that we would be prepared to take on Kansas.
In addition to basketball, the team also had to focus on school. This was the last week of the fall semester and most of us already began preparing for finals. This is going to be the first time that five of our freshmen will be experiencing college finals.
We upper classmen knew that we needed to give them a briefing on how to get through finals week.
Step by step, this is what we told them.
First, it is essential that you use your time wisely. It is important to balance your time so that you have enough time to review and study for all your classes. Next, you have to make a list of priorities and it is necessary that school be at the top of the list. It is easy to be tempted into doing other things besides studying, so it is crucial to set precedence. The main thing to focus on during finals week is not to get stressed out. Stay calm and confident, and it is more likely that you will do well on your exams.
After briefing the freshmen on finals, coach Terri reminded the team that everyone is going through this. Finals are just a part of college life. Every college student in the country has to do this so there is no need to be stressed about it. The best part of finals is the fact that when they are over we can take a little break from the academic world for a while.
Entry # 6 -- Thursday, Nov. 22, 2007
By: Jocelyn Mellen
Thanksgiving as a student-athlete is not as typical as one would think, well at least for sports that are in season currently.
Every year before I came to Marquette, it would just be my mom, dad, grandma and uncle Dave celebrating Thanksgiving at grandma's house. The last two years have been quite different, not just because I am not able to go to grandma's house.
Thanksgiving with the team is special. The last two years we have been away from our immediate families. We were in the Virgin Islands last year and now we are in Spokane, Wash., waiting to play Gonzaga Friday. I'm not used to spending Thanksgiving with 20 people. Don't get me wrong; it is great, just different. I don't have a big family, but to spend Thanksgiving with the 20 people who make up our Marquette family I feel like I am at grandma's house just with a bigger table and more food.
We had Thanksgiving meal at the hotel restaurant. I think most of us had turkey with all of the traditional trimmings. We were even allowed to have pumpkin pie with whip cream (it was a huge treat). There was a lot more dinner conversation than I am used to with 20 people compared to the usual five.
We made dinner especially fun when we tried to play telephone. What Michelle started with and what Courtney ended up saying was completely different. I guess Michelle's message was lost in translation.
A lot of families I know play cards or games after dinner, we too had some fun after dinner before watching film. Kelly (Lam) provided the entertainment for the evening in the form of board games. Us players and Terri, Cara and Michelle played Catch Phrase and Mad Gab. It was an intense game; tempers were flaring (in a good way of course).
My team consisted of V, Erin, Kelly, Angel and Jasmine. The other team's lineup was Terri, Cara, Nelly, Riss, Tati and Courtney. When the games were over it was up for debate who the winner was. Both teams claimed they were the winner.
All in all, Thanksgiving on the road continues to provide me with last memories of my Marquette family.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
- Joss
Members of the Marquette women's basketball team as well as staff will provide an all-access pass all season long through its BasketBLOG, an exclusive blog on GoMarquette.com.
Entry 5 - Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2007
First off, I want to clear something up. Everyone back home thinks I go to school that is surrounded by farmland and cows. I am setting the record straight and saying that Milwaukee is no where near the size of New York City, but it still is a metropolitan city.
There is a first time for everything, and Saturday, playing against Concordia for my first game of my college career was no different.
I have great teammates who really know how to show us freshmen the ropes. I ask a lot of questions, and I had a lot to learn. If you keep reading, you will find out why.
After pre-game meal, we were told we had to shower. We had an hour to kill before we started warmups at 1 p.m. I didn't know what do. I talked to Riss (Marissa) and asked "what are we supposed to do before the game."
She explained that everybody does something different. Some people take naps (Krystal) and others just relax. Riss was just relaxing and listening to her iPod, so I did the same before going to see Jeremy to get taped.
Everyone else who wasn't already in the locker room started coming in around 20 minutes of 1p.m. We got together, just the players, and talked about the game and how we were going to play. Riss, Krystal and V (Svetlana) led the way with the talk and we all had something to add.
Following the group talk, we got dressed and I asked what color of dry-fit to wear. Riss probably got sick of me asking her all of these questions, but she politely told me that since we were going to wear our white uniforms, we had to wear white underneath as well.
After our initial warmup, I was nervous because I had to lead the group on the court. Krystal told me "get a ball, you are in the front." However, I messed up during our entrance. I was supposed to wait and let the cheerleaders go behind the mascot, but I was too eager to get out there and went in front of the cheerleaders. Then while we were doing the tip drill I went to the wrong side of the basket. Oh to be a freshman...... Don't worry, Krystal corrected me. I told her I wouldn't mess up next time. Kyrstal always lets me know what I am supposed to do. Maybe it is the point guard, point guard connection.
My first game was great, it was something I never experienced before. Back in high school I never played in front of a band and cheerleaders. It is all new to me. I was surprised with the number of media time-outs. Every time I turned around there was a time out. I asked who called the time out, because I didn't.
I had a lot of fun out there and that is the main thing. Now, I am just looking forward to the next game.
Tati
Entry 4 - Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007
By: Kelly Lam
Happy Halloween. I hope all of the little kids dressed up in their costumes get real sugared up from trick or treating. But just remember don't eat all of your candy all at once.
To celebrate Halloween our team decided to go see Saw IV. It was quite an interesting time, just because Courtney and I don't do well with scary stuff. Within the first five minutes of the beginning of the movie both of us screamed while our teammates looked at us and told us to shhhhhhhh..... Trust me, if you can't handle blood, I wouldn't recommend seeing this movie, but if you can, the rest of the team thought awesome.
To keep the Halloween spirit alive, a majority of our team decided to go to a haunted house later that weekend. After seeing the movie, Courtney and I decided to sit out the trip. According to our teammates, Angel took control of the situation and was the brave one who guided them through the haunted house.
While the rest of the team was out looking to be scared, I decided to spend some quality time with my mom. Meaning she took me to dinner and we went to a movie. The "QT" was needed though just because I don't get to see her or the rest of my family that often during the season. Yeah, yeah, I know what you readers are thinking - my family is from Brookfield, and I can see them whenever I want. Not true, when we travel, I don't get to see them. I know, I know....
Well anyway, we are really excited to finally play Saturday. I love this time of year. It will be good to FINALLY play against someone other than ourselves.
See you at the game Saturday.
GO MARQUETTE!
Entry # 3 -- Week of Oct. 22
By: Paige Fiedorowicz
Freshman year in college, WOW...it's crazy, but I love it. Working hard and getting better in practice, becoming apart of the Marquette family, it couldn't get any better. Everyday continuously becomes more exciting. There is so much to learn and so little time before our first game.
Practices are enthusiastic, and intense. It is a tiring four hours out of the day, but we're always playing hard and competing. Everyone is always pushing each other and we are improving everyday as a team. Our first game is one week away, and I can't wait. We know people have their doubts about us, but there is nothing but positive thoughts and attitudes traveling through our minds. As the days count down before our first game, the intensity and hustle keep on growing.
The coaches are also always there for us. In practice they keep our confidence up, and keep practices moving quickly. They push us to do our best and never settle for less. Also, our staff is probably one of the funniest staffs in the Big East. There is always a new story when they come to practice, like when Coach Terri ran into a window and hurt her nose.
Over the weekend, we hosted pancakes and practice at the Al McGuire Center, which is where we spend 99% of our time. It was a great experience to interact with the fans so they could get to know us a little better. The fans were able to enjoy pancakes, bacon, and orange juice while they watched the scrimmage. The teams were split up into two teams, and then at half time we changed the teams again for one last game. In between each quarter three girls told something interesting about themselves, so the fans could grow a more personal relationship with the players. After the scrimmage, the players answered random questions from the audience. It was fun for me, as a freshman, to see all the kids watching and idolizing each player.
Our team has a great chemistry! We always have each others back, on and off the court. It also makes it easier when you have played with some of the girls before. I was former teammates with Jocelyn Mellen, Courtney Weibel, and Angel Robinson, on an AAU team called Full Package, in Illinois. Also, Marissa Thrower and Janelle Harris were teammates in high school, where they played against Jasmine Collins.
Were always doing fun activities together. Usually for dinner we have something called training table, which is a healthy buffet, but one night we decided to change it up a little. We had our own home made team dinner. Janelle and Marissa cooked the main course, spaghetti. Courtney and Erin tossed a salad together. Tati and Krystal baked three different types of garlic bread. Me and Jocelyn made Apple Crisp from scratch, it was very interesting, and brought vanilla ice cream. By the way, our Apple Crisp was the best. Angel and Jasmine made fried chicken, but we never got the chance to eat it because our team dinner was at 7 pm and the chicken wasn't finished until 11. It was so funny; we made plates for them since they never made it!
We went and saw the movie Saw IV. It was a great movie, but disgusting. I could barely watch. I had to watch it through my fingers. Saturday we are all going to a haunted house. Some of the girls aren't too excited and would rather be doing something else, but I know when I'm walking through the haunted house I want to be in front.
The last thing I want to say is how excited I am to be here at Marquette, and also thank everyone for excepting me into the family. It is a dream come true! GO MARQUETTE!
Paige
Entry # 2 -- Week of Oct. 15
By: Head coach Terri Mitchell
Is anyone out there as amazed as I am that another season is upon us? It seems like not so long ago that our team was celebrating its best season in school history - and yet so much has happened since then...Our seniors from last year all graduated - how fun it was to see them in their black gowns and ready to take on the challenges before them.
E (Efueko) landed a job and moved to Madison to be with her husband Marcus. We sure miss her beautiful daughter Moriah running around the office! Just a few short weeks ago, we had lots of fun having her with us for 3 days.
DK (Danielle) found a business job downtown so it is nice to have drop-in visits from her.
Q (Christina) left in September for Greece to start her professional basketball career - thank God for emails - keeps us connected although thousands of miles separate us.
Last, but certainly not least, there's Jasmine, who, for the good fortune of this program, agreed to work with us for a year. It's so great to have her around the office. She understands what hard work is and what it takes to be the best and she has tremendous influence on our very young team.
Speaking of influence, we also hired former outstanding point guard Carolyn Kieger. Again, I can't say enough about how much it means to me and our entire staff to have Carolyn around. She impacted our program as a player and now is doing the same as a staff member. I walk into work everyday thankful for the people who surround me...Michelle, Cara, Jennie, Carolyn, Jasmine, Monica and Jamie...such a privilege to call them my co-workers and more importantly, my friends.
Are you waiting for me to talk about the season? In a minute...but I have a commercial about life first...and since it's my blog, I get to do what I want! ?
I am writing this entry as I am returning from Texas visiting good friends of mine, Linda and Dallas. I went to see them because Dallas has been battling cancer for over 4 years. He received unwelcome news a month back that his tumors had significantly increased. I knew I wanted to see them both - to hug them and encourage them along this part of the journey...of course, I kept looking at my calendar trying to figure out when - there's recruiting, there are work outs, there are speaking engagements...there is always something to fill up the time, then it hit me, what does all of that really mean?
Friendships are so important. So I talked to my staff (they had been pushing me to go all along), spoke to my team (they had to sacrifice and get up very early Monday morning to practice before class so I could make my flight) and off I went to Texas. I just had an incredible day and a half with two people that I love. It was so good to see them both! Here's the kicker though, I went down to encourage them...and guess what? I have come back with my heart so full of life and ready to go. I'm getting picked up and going straight to practice - I can't wait to see my team! The older I get, (I'm 40 now!) the more I know how important it is to step back and spend time with people you love. I really believe that I am so refreshed for this season because I had wonderful times in the off season with my family, and with my good friends in Milwaukee, Mobile and now in Texas.
Alright, you waited long enough...thanks for indulging me! The season...let's just use an analogy. I feel like I am a kid in a candy store...the team I have couldn't excite me more! I know what you're thinking, "Terri, you graduated four seniors who happened to be starters. You have six freshmen; seven teams from the BIG EAST are pre-season ranked in the Top 25...how in the world can you be that excited? Aren't you worried? Isn't this a "transition" year?" No, no, no...It's all about opportunity...it's a huge challenge and my staff, team and I couldn't be more excited to face what is ahead of us. Yes, we lack experience, but we are full of heart, desire and putting in the work to make this year special. So hang on - it's going to be a wild ride as we move through the ups and downs of the year ahead.
Stay tuned...there will be lots to share in the weeks ahead!
Terri
Entry # 1 -- Week of Oct. 8
By: Svetlana Kovalenko
Here I am relaxing less than a four days before official practices start. It's nice, real nice... Okay, back to reality, I have snapped out of it and if you must know I am nervous and excited all at the same time for Saturday.
We just finished up our last free weekend until Christmas. The coaches took a retreat leaving us to also have a couple of days of freedom. We all needed to regather ourselves and take a deep breath before we dive into this season.
It is time to buckle down and get down to business. I anticipate a lot of running and hardwork in these next couple practices and throughout the season. Practice for the next couple weeks will surely prepare us for what is to come. It is going to be a to a new and exciting season. Count on it.
The last time the whole team and coaches were together for a three hour practice was prior to leaving for Spain, and we were still practicing with Q, Jasmine and DK. Now when practice starts it is going to be a new journey of discovering everyone roles and abilities as well as the ability of our team as whole. There are five new players on this team. Six if you include Joss, but she redshirted last year so she doesn't count.
This team has a different look.
So far we all enjoy each other, and returners are meshing well with our five new freshman. The good thing is many people probably think having so many new players is a bad thing, but these freshmen are fearless and aren't intimidated by anyone. They will exhaust everything in them on the court which is exactly what we need of them. They are hungry and eager to play. For us it is good to have that on our team especially when we are into the BIG EAST portion of our schedule.
Everyone is doubting us because of the players we lost, yeah, they were great and we had a great last season, but we need to move forward. I have the utmost confidence in our team and coahcing staff. There is a whole new game plan for this year. We are going to be a different team than last year, but one thing that will not change is we will continue to play hard every game.
Myself as a senior, I am going to be filling a new role as a more vocal leader on the court and the guidance for the team off the court.
This is the way I see things playing out in terms of the rookies.
Out of the five post players (Kelly Lam, Paige Fiedorowicz, Jasmine Collins, Jocelyn Mellen, and myself), three have never played in a college basketball game. Myself and Kelly Lam will need to guide the newcomers into the style of play Terri and the coaching staff expect of us.
Krystal will need to take Angel and Tati under her wing as the point guide leader and Erin finally found herself a twin in Courtney Weibel. I think those two will have a three-point shoot off in practice everyday.
We also have Joss - or for those of you who don't know her by that her full name is Jocelyn Mellen - back who is technically a freshman, but will be looked upon to take plenty of charges this season. She will educate our whole team how to give up their body on the court.
As every senior does, I too want to go out on a good note. At the same time I want to be remembered as someone who was respected and made a significant impact on the program. It is "go time" and I am ready.
As Forrest Gump said, "And that is all I have to say about that."
I'll be around during the season for more insight. Until then, catch me at The Al!
-V
