Joanna Schmitt Online Journal No. 1

Oklahoma outside hitter Joanna Schmitt begins her player journal to take fans behind the scenes as the Sooners prepare for the 2004 volleyball season under new coach Santiago Restrepo. This week Joanna gave everyone a little background about herself and her thoughts on the upcoming season.

This is the first 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 Entry No. 1 (Sept 1, 2004)
Here is a quick version of my background. I was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. I have four older brothers, an older sister and a younger sister. All of my brothers and sisters' first names begin with a J' like mine. That always seems to make it in every story about me, so I might as well include it now.

I grew up playing basketball. I didn't start playing volleyball until my freshman year in high school. I didn't really want to play volleyball at the college level until my junior year. Right now I'm majoring in Health and Exercise Sciences and will hopefully become a personal trainer if everything works out.

As far as this upcoming season is concerned, I am really excited. I think we're going to be a real tough team in the Big 12. I think a lot of teams won't be able to look past like they have in the past. If we continue to improve, we should give every team in the conference a run for their money. We definitely have a great chance to be in the top half of the conference. I'm just really looking forward to getting started and get out on the court and showing everybody what we have to offer.

A few players have really stood out to me this pre-season. The biggest impression has been made by, senior Keri Coats, who is going to be huge for our team success. She battled some injuries last year and we'll need her to stay on the court this. She is a big presence on the right side. She brings the heat, but also has a great feel for blocking.

The middle positions on the court are really going to open things up for us and get things moving. Jennifer Adams is another player that has stepped up on a consistent basis.

I think everybody on this team is going to be a key part. The season won't hinge on the play of one person. It has to be a team effort and we're going to have to outwork our opponents from the very first serve. Really, we just need to do our jobs and be responsible for our roles.

On to our new coach Santiago Restrepo. He's a tough guy. He is very into discipline, intensity and work ethic. Over the summer I worked at his camp in St. Louis and I got an early glimpse into what he expected of his athletes. That has definitely been beneficial so far. We have a great and honest relationship. He tells us exactly what he is thinking and allows us to shoot right back with our own critiques. I like that level of honesty and openness. The entire team is sold on his philosophies, which I think will help our success early in the season.

Our assistant coaches Steve Loeswick and Kelly Files are also great. The coaching staff overall work really well together. Kelly and Steve definitely bring a calmer side to the staff.

I have an 11:30 class, so I have to split. Before I finish, I want to encourage all of our fans to come out and support us every chance you get. It is a really fun sport to watch and learn about. Our first home game is next Tuesday (Sept. 7) against Oral Roberts at the McCasland Field House. Come join us and get a first hand take on the new Oklahoma volleyball team.

Ask Joanna a Question | Sooner Online Journals

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