You were one of the athletes who chose to take a “gap year” chasing the dream of a very good university both academically and athletically. Do you feel justified by your decision?
The decision to take a “gap year” and reject the offers I had after graduating high school was probably the riskiest thing I have ever done in my life. As we say in Greece “the daring one wins”, and in my case my decision not only justified me, but exceeded all my expectations! This extra time was what gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dreams and secure a spot in a very prestigious university both academically and athletically. Moreover, this extra time gave me the opportunity to get a mental break from the exhausting process of the panhellenic exams and bring my body back into shape to how it was before my senior year of high school. Finally, having this extra time before I leave, allowed me to prepare myself better for the forthcoming change that was about to come such as cooking, washing clothes, and even more complex ones such as how to prepare myself to say goodbye to my family.
Another week and another record-setting performance by Turkish rookies in NCAA D1 women’s volleyball. Some historic wins for their teams below, with significant contributions from Turkish players.
Sherolli will just not let the ball touch the ground! Green Bay had two matches this past week with Sherolli reaching double digits in digs, with 13 digs in the first match, and setting a new record in the second match with 22 digs! Season opener for Towson University brought an easy victory for Bakodimou who broke her personal record with 9 kills and 10 digs.
Ioanna Krimili continues her great performances in the month of February. She received her 9th Freshman of the Week award in 12 weeks for the West Coast Conference, where she's leading her Dons to new heights, having won 7 out of their last 8 games. She contributed to her team’s important victory on Valentine’s Day vs Portland by having 16 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, shooting 6-12 from the field, and making 4/8 3pt shots in 38 minutes of action. She is currently averaging 18.2 points per game going along with 3.4 rebounds while shooting 44.2 % from the 3pt line. Ioanna's battle for the top spot in the country in 3pters made is one for the ages. She's still #1 in the nation, while hot on her heels is the senior from Virginia Tech, Aisha Sheppard, who's taken 28 more 3pt shots than Ioanna.
The first month of this challenging volleyball season came with some pleasant surprises for college volleyball fans, courtesy of the young Turkish guns by the names of Doga Topcicek and Yagmur Cinel, who keep firing away in each game. They are both third in scoring and consistent attackers for their teams, helping their teammates maintain 3-3 W-L records in the highly competitive Missouri Valley Conference, annually featuring Top-50 teams nationally!
Katerina Papazoglou and Temple University premiered with the Greek senior being “on fire” on the service line with 5 aces. The dynamic duo, Alexakou-Kathariou had a great weekend at St. John’s after Saturday’s sweep over Sacred Heart University (3-0). Alexakou led her team with 17 points, 16 kills, 2 blocks, and 6 digs, while Kathariou hosted a “block-party” attaining 7 blocks and 4 kills. Valentine’s Day, however, challenged St. John’s after it took them 5 sets to break Stony Brook University’s resistance and wrap up their two-match home-stand. With Kathariou building walls for St. John’s block and Alexakou’s mighty swings, they managed to capture the 5th set with 15-11 bringing the Red Storm to raging celebrations. Alexakou ended the game with 14 kills, 1 block, and 13 digs while Kathariou was named the best blocker for both teams with 8 blocks, 7 kills, and 1 ace.
What inspired you to come to America to play volleyball? Why in the US? America has been my dream since I was very young. I thought it was very interesting to be able to play the sport you love and study at the same time, but without determining the continuation of your life from the panhellenic exams, as in Greece.
The last 2-3 weeks NCAA volleyball season started and many Turkish girls had the opportunity to play with their teams. Below you can read how our girls performed.
An amazing performance by Christos Gitersos after breaking last year’s personal record of 46 assists, having 51 against Queens University of Charlotte, also scoring his first double-double of the year with 51 assists and 10 digs. Giourda’s University of Central Florida ranks 1st place with 5 wins while Papazoglou’s Temple University ranks 2nd, neither of which have suffered any defeats.
