Joanna Schmitt Online Journal No. 6

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma outside hitter Joanna Schmitt continues her player journal to take fans behind the scenes as the Sooners attack the 2004 season. The Sooners are off to an 8-8 start. As for Schmitt, she has tallied two MVP awards during the non-conference season and is ranked 10th in the Big 12 with 3.83 kills per game.

Prior to leaving for Texas A&M on Wednesday, Joanna checked in with SoonerSports.com to talk about the season so far and answers questions from fans. This is the sixth installment of Joanna's journal. There is a link at the bottom of the page so you can submit questions for Joanna to reply to in her next entry.

Joanna Schmitt
Journal No. 6 (October 13, 2004)

Hey everyone. Thanks once again for reading my online journal and supporting our team. I hope that you make it out to every match we play, your support really drives us to succeed on the court.

Our team right now is still working hard and we have a lot of work to do. We have a big game tonight against Texas A&M. We'll try to get our first Big 12 win and hopefully things will roll from there. I think A&M is a great team, but a team that we can compete with it. If we play well, I think we can win.

We had a good match against Nebraska which is a tough thing to do with their skill and their crowd. I think we're coming off a pretty good outing and hope to keep our energy high from last Saturday.

As a captain, what do you say to your teammates after a tough loss?
Charles from Chapel Hill, N.C.

I try to find the positive things that they did. Even after a loss, you can't bring up the negatives because it will bring the team down. I try to focus on the positives from the match, what we did well and what we need to work on. You just have to keep working hard.

I was wondering what your most memorable experience has been at OU so far and what you miss most about good ole' Wisconsin?
Annie Rhinerson from Deerfield, Wisc.

There are so many memorable experiences like our trips and the funny things that happen on trips. It's the funny things that happen everyday. It's pretty entertaining everyday. I miss my family, friends and the cold weather in Wisconsin.

Hey Joanna! Way to represent Deerfield! I would like your opinion on club volleyball around the Madison area. Which do you think is better, Wisconsin Power or Wisconsin Select?
Hilary from Deerfield, Wisc.

Both clubs are good. The types of tournaments that these two teams go to were different in the past. Wisconsin Power usually went to larger tournaments and I think the number of tournaments differ as well, but that was when I was there so things may have changed since then.

Hey Joanna. I notice that the team celebrates a bunch after a spectacular play. Are there any penalties for excessive celebration in volleyball? In other sports you can't really let yourself go because an official will either throw a flag or call a fragrant foul, but in volleyball it seems like the team can go nuts whenever a great play is made.
Brandon from Ardmore, Okla.

There are only penalties when you taunt someone. For example if you were to yell in somebody's face after a block or you start cheering before you go back to your team. The only penalty for taunting is a yellow card which isn't much, but you do have to watch yourself because if you get a red card there is some type of penalty for it. I have never gotten a yellow card which is kind of surprising. I usually celebrate with my team instead of taunting opposing players.

I've known Santiago since his days in St. Louis. He is quite a character. Can you tell us the funniest moment since he has been with the team?
Doug from St. Louis, Mo.

The funniest moment was probably the first joke he ever told us. I don't think I want to go into the joke, but it was pretty entertaining. I think it was one of the funniest moments because no one really knew him and he comes out with an off-the-wall joke. Everyone on the team would agree, he is quite a character.

Well that's about it for now, I have to catch a flight down to College Station to play Texas A&M game. We have a home match against Colorado this Saturday at 7 p.m. so come out and support us.

- #8 Joanna Schmitt

Ask Joanna a Question | Sooner Online Journals

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