It's only the beginning! by Autumn Kirby

It's only been two days in Costa Rica, and we are already enjoying ourselves and adapting to the environment. The atmosphere is something we're still getting used to, but we're ready to tackle on the new cities.

The first day consisted heavily of travel. Once we landed, we had a quick meal and prepared for our first clinic and match. the clinic was eventful as the younger players worked on many skills and put them all together in the end. The team loved getting involved. Next up was the match that concluded with us up two sets to one. it was so much fun playing in a different environment against a Costa Rica opponent. I found the ball to be most interesting to play with as it's not like the typical ball used in NCAA.

The night ended off at with a big meal and we were on to the next day. Day 2 consisted of more free time actives. We were able to explore downtown San Jose and buy things that caught our eye whether it was jewelry, clothes, coffee, or even McDonald's! 

It was fun to see how the different items in the shops compared to what we see in the states. In those few hours we got to see and hear about some history of Costa Rica. For lunch, we arrived at a local school where we ate in their cafeteria and ran another clinic. It was another great session before we headed back to the hotel for some down time and to prepare for our second match of the trip.

We arrived for our evening match up and came out on top once again after winning four sets to none. after a long day of activities, we stopped at a restaurant near the gym and had a nice meal. conversations about future activities were brought up and we are super excited for what's to come in this trip as it's only the beginning. stay tuned for more updates to see what Stan State Volleyball is up to in Costa Rica!