Oh how I've missed road trips. This past weekend we made an eight hour trip to Athens, Ohio to take on Ohio University, Oregon, and Kentucky.

We started our journey with loading our bus with bags, pillows, blankets, movies, and LOTS of food. The most important thing is trying to figure out how you are going to situate yourself on the bus. There is definitely a strategy to becoming comfortable. You can lay your head towards the window, lay your head towards the aisle, or my personal favorite, laying completely on the floor. One question remains, what if someone has to go to the bathroom?

Well then it's a whole other process to dodge and weave between the multiple bodies on the floor or across the aisle. Just be prepared to possibly be hit or stepped on! And let's not forget the beautiful faces everyone makes when they are sleeping (be prepared for future nap snapshots). We safely made it to Ohio and checked in to our hotel. We rested up for the night and got ready for the upcoming games of the weekend.

We came in with an open mind and our goal was to just have fun. It was a learning experience and we made the best of it. Even though we came out with a losing record for the tournament, everyone was pleased with our performance. We were excited for the next time we could play.

That next time would be against UNC Asheville, and that was intense. We started out strong with winning the first two games, but then ended up losing the next three games. It was definitely heartbreaking being so close to winning, but just like any other loss we have to learn from it. We worked hard in practice and the focus was on our mental toughness. Your mental game is just as important as your physical one.

When we leave for NC State this weekend, we have to keep in mind that communication and your mentality is key. Also, always remember "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose". Focus to finish. GO CATS!