The Salem volleyball team will put the finishing touches on its 15-practice spring schedule on Thursday, March 31st, when it heads to Ferrum for scrimmage with the Panthers. The 158-mile roundtrip trek to the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Commonwealth of Virginia will be a significantly shorter distance for three members of the team than the one they made during a nine-day trip in late December that included stops in Lisbon, Portugal; Madrid, Spain and Barcelona, Spain.
The Salem trio of Macy Nelson, Taylor Alleyne and Brooklyn Snow were able to experience playing volleyball overseas as part of a program that was sponsored by Bring It Promotions. They competed alongside players from Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and New Mexico, that ranged from the NCAA Division I, II and III ranks. The team was coached by Maryville's head coach Kandis Schram. They finished 2-2 in four matches over the course of the trip.
Nelson joined her teammates in Charlotte, after flying in from Tampa, Florida, where the three departed as a group to Munich, Germany, where they arrived on December 26th to embark on their journey.
Travel Itinerary for Alleyne, Snow & Taylor
Our first stop was Lisbon where we visited sites such as Sao Jorge Castle (Castelo de São Jorge), Rossio Square, Igreja do Carmo
We played two matches in Portugal against a Portuguese club team.
On our way to Madrid we stopped in Merida, Spain to visit the Roman Theatre of Merida.
We then traveled to Madrid where we played one match against a Madrid club team.
Some sights in Madrid consisted of the Royal Palace of Madrid, Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, Estadio Santiago Bernabéu: Real Madrid's Stadium. We spent New Year's here, experiencing the huge New Year's celebration in the plaza.
On our travel to Barcelona we stopped in Zaragoza, Spain to see Basílica del Pilar.
Next we traveled to Barcelona, Spain: played one competition against Barcelona club team.
Sights in Barcelona were Basílica de la Sagrada Família and the beach/ports.
Alleyne Reflects on Her Experience Abroad
2021 Salem synopsis: Alleyne completed her first year at Salem by playing in 21 matches (72 sets). She ranked third on the team in kills (115) after averaging 1.60 kills/set. Alleyne tied teammate Brooklyn Snow for second-most service aces (10) and was an active defensive player with 28 total blocks, which ranked her second on the unit, by virtue of 21 assisted blocks and seven solo blocks. Alleyne was also responsible for 57 digs over the course of the campaign.
Share your most memorable experiences from the overall trip itself. (Foods/Culture/Cities/anything that sticks out)
Life in Portugal and Spain was much different than in the US. I was amazed with the difference in culture, plus there was tons to sightsee. The biggest shock for me was walking everywhere as transportation. We rode a train once which was a new experience for me.
Share your most memorable volleyball experience during the trip. (Playing through specific experiences, alongside other players and in different experiences)
We got the opportunity to play in Portugal and two different cities in spain. The players at the clubs we visit were very welcoming and sweet. We even had the chance to sit and eat dinner with a few of the girls after playing. It was tons of fun.
When you look at the chance to play alongside volleyball talent from a number of NCAA levels (I, II, III) what did you take away from those experiences?
I was super nervous after finding out some of the girls played at a higher level than myself. After the nervousness went away I realized playing with other athletes who are at a higher level than myself was an awesome experience. Most of the girls on the team were d2 and a few were d1 athletes. Their volleyball ethic was much different from anything I've experienced. There was a lot of positivity at all times even if we were down in the game. Their athletic abilities were pretty amazing. This was good for me because it encouraged me to play better for myself and the team.
How will you take these experiences and share them on the court with your teammates during the course of the spring practices and next year when you start the 2022 regular season.
For me personally getting the chance to play with teammates that were overwhelming with positivity and support was super important. I hope to bring that on the court this spring season and the rest of my seasons here at Salem. It's super important to be a good teammate. It makes the game more fun and winning that much sweeter.
Snow Reflects on Her Experience Abroad
2021 Salem synopsis: One of just three Spirits to compete in all 24 matches and 85 sets in 2021, Snow ranked second on the team in total kills (188) at a clip of 2.21 kills/set. She dished out 68 assists, third-most on the team and was responsible for 209 digs (2.46 digs/set) while making 22 total blocks (0.26 blocks/set). Snow came through with 17 assisted blocks and five solo blocks along the way.
Snow ended her Salem career 478 kills, 317 digs and 135 assists to her credit. Active on the front row, using her skills to amass 87 blocks, including 77 assisted blocks and 10 solo blocks in three seasons, Snow leaves the program ranked inside the Top-15 of five different statistical categories including eighth in career kills, eighth in total attacks with 1,643, eighth in assisted blocks, eight in total blocks and ninth in total assists.
This experience was one of the best I have ever had. Experiencing all these different cultures and seeing the extraordinary sights often left me speechless. Some of these places we saw were almost unbelievable and unfathomable.
Playing with this high-level team against these different countries' clubs was a great experience. This was a whole new level of play. We were even able to speak and hang out with the teams after we played to learn what living there was like.
We were able to try a number of new foods, experience the beauty of gelato almost every day, and do cool activities such as riding a trolley to an overlook, visit markets, and explore the cities on our own.
I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. The memories made will be kept forever and I am so grateful that I was able to experience this adventure.
Nelson Reflects on Her Experience Abroad
2021 Salem synopsis: Wrapped up her first year by playing in all 24 matches (85 sets). Nelson ranked second on the team in total digs (281) at a clip of 3.31 digs/set. She also accounted for 23 kills, seven service aces and an assisted block. Nelson had 14 double-digit dig performances over the course of the season.
Share your most memorable experiences from the overall trip itself. (Foods/Culture/Cities/anything that sticks out)
The food from all over was really good my favorite dish was spaghetti from a small cafe in Portugal. The culture here was so beautiful to intake. Everything was beautiful especially the architecture and amazing views. Every city we visited was beautiful and unique in its own way. My favorite memory from this trip was bringing in new years in a different country with some of my closest friends, it was truly unforgettable.
Share your most memorable volleyball experience during the trip. (Playing through specific experiences, alongside other players and in different experiences)
I have to say going into it I didn't know what to expect and was nervous to see the different levels and how other people play around the world. We saw different levels of talent in every city. The most memorable volleyball memory from this trip was getting to meet the girls in Portugal and also having a home cooked meal after the games. We got to experience part of their culture which is an amazing experience in itself.
When you look at the chance to play alongside volleyball talent from a number of NCAA levels (I, II, III) what did you take away from those experiences?
It was such an honor to play alongside such talented girls. I was a bit nervous at first considering we had many different levels on the team but after the first game the nerves were out and I was excited for the next game. Our team meshed well considering we had only met a day before playing. The key thing I took away from this experience was being confident in myself and my abilities to be able to play at a higher standard and to push others as well.
How will you take these experiences and share them on the court with your teammates during the course of the spring practices and next year when you start the 2022 regular season.
This experience really opened my eyes and motivated me to want to play better for myself and team. The girls I played with were energetic and positive through each game and every play. This made me want to come back to Salem to share a much more energetic and positive atmosphere with the girls to help us train and play better for the following season. In the fall season I am hoping to take these skills into a leadership position to help better the team and pick up some wins!
SPIRITS CONCLUDE 2022 SPRING PRACTICES
Salem head coach Barry Rymer completed his first season at the helm with a 3-2 victory over Mary Baldwin in the final match of the campaign. Rymer, the sixth coach in Salem volleyball history, was faced with the task of building a program that had just 10 rostered players entering the 2021 campaign.
During the 2021 offseason, Rymer has added 10 commitments to the program for the 2022 campaign. Salem witnessed the departure of Snow, Jessica Cruz and Brianna Cherry. However, there are eight players from the 2021 roster that will provide experience on the court for Salem, including Alleyne, Valeria Rosa Lopez, Dania Shoaf, Brianna Moore, Nikita Sizemore, Laken Edwards and Nelson.
"I am very excited to be back in the gym with the team this spring," said Rymer of the 15 practices. "We are working on conditioning and trying to improve our overall skills. We are excited to play Ferrum for our spring match. I am excited to see where our program will be in the 2022 season. We have some good players on the roster and a strong recruiting class coming in for 2022. I look forward to seeing how much growth we can have over the next few years."