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Basketball Journal Entry #1–Senior Hillary Hager 12-23-03 12/23/2003 Right now I am writing this on the plane ride home from St. Louis for what will be the longest break of my four years here at Vanderbilt. It will be nice to get home and hang out with the family, eat some good home-cooked food and relax for a little while, especially knowing that we are still undefeated. But, as the freshmen were all saying in the locker room after the game at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Saint Louis – I will miss my teammates! <?xml:namespace prefix = o />
There is always a definite excitement in the air this time of year. Classes are finished for a couple of weeks, Christmas is fast approaching and the thought of going home is heavy on all our minds, However despite all of that, we knew we had to stay focused for one last game before the break. St. Louis was a solid team with several good players, so focus was one of our team goals for the game. I would say we definitely accomplished it with a decisive win (71-56). Overall, the St. Louis trip was a lot of fun for our team, because, for many of us, it was our first time to visit the city. We stayed in a very pretty area downtown near the famous St. Louis Arch.
As always with this team there are some great stories to tell, so here goes. Our theme song this Christmas season has been a ridiculously catchy 80’s Christmas carol that some of you may know: “Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart.” (If not you can usually catch a techno-remake blaring in Express or Abercrombie & Fitch). Anyway, Jutta (Korkko) got this song in everyone’s head when she performed it (yes, performed, not just sang – including a hair flip and all) one day in study hall. Since that moment this song has been in everyone’s head, so when one person starts to sing it the whole team chimes in (with Jutta singing the lead of course). We felt it was only appropriate, after we beat St. Louis, that Jutta broke into song in the locker room before the coaches came in to speak to us. In no time everyone was singing and clapping to the beat (which sounded surprisingly good). Jutta got up to do her “performance” with an imaginary microphone, only to have the coaches walk in on that scene! We were all dying laughing. It was classic.
We will return back to Nashville this Friday (Dec. 26) for practice before heading down to Miami (Fla.) and the warm weather to play in the Gatorade Holiday Classic. Being from Pennsylvania, I am especially excited – right Carla? I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season, and we appreciate the continued support of all our fans – GO ‘DORES!
Check back for more entries as the Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball squad pens a journal of their experiences during the 2003-04 season. |
