Julia Kelly
We also wanted to talk to Julia Kelly, who recently announced her commitment to Ithaca College. Julia has been putting on outstanding performances and we wanted to see what a day looks like for her.
Q: How does your game day start? Any specific morning routines?
A: The only super concrete thing I do on game day mornings is post on the volleyball Instagram. Sometimes I’ll watch film of the team we’re playing and scout their players to prep, but at this point in the season we pretty much know all the teams and how they play.
Q: What do you typically eat before a game? Do you have any specific meals?
A: Nothing specific, just something with protein that will keep me fueled. Not sure if this counts but I will almost always have some sort of energy drink before games to really wake up.
Q: How do you mentally prepare for a game, what kind of music do you listen to or any meditation practices?
A: I’ve kind of made a deal with myself that once I put my jersey on I need to be locked in for game time. I also usually take a minute away from everyone else to just sit and breathe and prepare myself to play. The playlist used for warmups is mine so I kinds of get to cheat and listen to my songs on the gym speakers. It’s mostly rap with a few 2010’s hype songs to get everyone excited.
Q: What goes through your mind right before the game starts? How do you handle the nerves if any?
A: Before a game, I mentally go over any important stats on the team we’re playing and think about what I’m going to say to the team in our huddle to make sure we’re as prepared as we can be. I like watching the other team warm up and figuring out what the best hitting/blocking strategy is.
Q: How do you stay focused during the game especially in high pressure moments?
A: I’ll usually pull the team into a quick huddle between points to figure out our next play or just take a deep breath together. Volleyball can be very fast paced game and second to slow down and think especially in high pressure moments.
Q: What are some key things you do to stay calm if things aren’t going well?
A: As a team, I think it’s important to keep cheering no matter how bad the score is. Keeping the energy high is always a good way to stay in the game. Personally, I have an old superstition with tape on my fingers that I tap when I need to calm down. Even though I don’t put tape on as consistently as I used to, I still tap the same place I used to have it when I need to calm down.
Q: How do you balance emotions, whether you’re celebrating a coping with a loss?
A: I have a rule that I’m not allowed to drop my head (in defeat) at any point during a game or afterwards when I’m still in the gym. It’s a small thing but it really makes a difference both physically and mentally. I know there’s a lot of people looking at me to be a source of positivity so I try to remember that after both wins and losses.
Q: How do you wind down at the end of game day?
A: Ice and stretch whatever injury I probably have and wait for stats from the game to come out
