Nikkie Viotto and VB team psyche up for game at 3 pm today

Good morning all! Today we're having breakfast at Cheeseburger in Paradise, I know, not an ideal place for breakfast it sounds like... But it was actually extremely successful! Before a game its important for all of us to get a good hearty meal so we can maintain our energy throughout the game.

Hawaiian breakfast, yum!

I went with the Early Bird Special (egg whites, whole wheat toast, two scoops of rice and fresh pineapple). Also had to get my caffeine fix in so naturally I went with a side of black coffee!

Pre-game preparations usually consist of blaring music in our locker room, but today we're on the road to BYU which is about an hour and a half drive. Usually this would lead to a nap, but the drive is along the coast so I have to stay awake!

Scenes from the bus on the way to the first game in Hawaii.

During the drive I think about what the game will be like, what my expectations are for myself, and how I imagine myself playing. This helps to get me calm and mentally prepares me for the game.

I don't usually get nervous before a game, it's more of an excited feeling combined with way too much adrenaline. I'm a naturally energetic person, so rather than pumping myself up for a game I have to calm myself down and the adrenaline kicks in the second I step on the court.

It's hard to explain the feeling of the first point of a game because you simply have to experience it. It's extremely important to focus on controlling your energy and your body or the adrenaline will take over and the only result will be a bunch of ridiculous mistakes. For the first 5 or 10 points I try to stay calm and talk to my teammates to ensure that they are focused as well. The outcome of a focused team is usually a winning team so this is what we like ;)

I'll let you know how we did tomorrow!

Check out the volleyball page at goseawolves.com for game updates and statistics!