ABILENE – Abilene Christian beach volleyball is in its infancy, and as such, team wins like the Wildcats experienced last week vs. Benedictine and Arizona Christian can unfortunately be few and far between.
When they do occur, however, those triumphs are to be celebrated and cherished, to serve as a reminder that there's always a payoff for hard work. And for senior
Amy Weiss those moments of celebrating with her teammates were defined as "joyful."
Weiss was one of the first beach-only recruits brought to campus by head coach
Angela Mooney and her staff, and in a few weeks she'll go down in school history as the program's first letter-winning graduate.
This weekend the Wildcats are in south Texas for the Kingsville Beach Bash, where they'll twice play Arizona State in addition to Park University and host Texas A&M-Kingsville. ACU will play a doubleheader Friday (April 12) and Saturday (April 13).
ACUSports.com caught up with Weiss at the Wildcats' practice courts earlier this week for a get-to-know-you Q&A in which she discussed her off-season training regimen, being partnered with
Kennedy Shelstead, and what she's learned as a social work major.
Q: How were you first introduced to sand volleyball in (Midwest City) Oklahoma?
A: "I played sand club volleyball for Stingray Beach out of Oklahoma City while in high school. My high school coach started the club and one year he said you need to come out on the sand, and so I did and it was game over at that point. I loved it. I fell in love with the game."
Q: How do you best describe your feelings after last weekend's wins in Arizona?
A: "They were joyful moments.
"Earlier in the season one of the opposing players described beach volleyball as being, 'progress vs. perfection'. We played two tournaments with no wins and then we go into this week (April 1-6) and finally pick up two wins the first two days we're in Arizona. I felt like, 'okay, it's paying off.' The hard work, effort we put in, the practice, all of it's finally coming together."
Q: How were you paired with Kennedy? What makes you click so well as a combination?
A: "Kennedy and I transferred into ACU at the same time (Summer 2017). We lived together during the summer and we were also roommates that whole first year. It was rocky at times … but through that we started developing this relationship and a unique bond that no one else really had.
"Getting to know her in that space was really beautiful, and it was a process. It did not happen right away. Once beach season rolled around I was put with her after the second tournament and we just clicked. We had our first DI win over New Mexico the first weekend we played together. Ever since then we'll be on the court looking at each other and we just know each other's groove.
"There are still difficult times but we always know we have each other's best interests at heart. I love playing with her. She is super competitive. There is not one other person on this team that can push me harder than she does, or push anyone else on this team harder in the weight room or classroom.
"She's a sturdy person just to go to and lean on. We have a great friendship and she's definitely going to be a friend for life."
Q: What did your offseason schedule consist of to get you ready for beach volleyball?
A: "It's our offseason in the fall when indoor is going on, but we still have practice two-to-three times a week and weight lifting three times a week. I would lift in the mornings and practice in the afternoons all while carrying about 16 hours last semester (Fall 2018). From class or practice I'd go to my (social work) internship and then waitress at night. It was a full schedule. There wasn't a day in which I had a lot of free time."
Q: What are some of the most meaningful lessons you've learned as a social work major?
A: "It doesn't take a lot to have an impact. It might be something as simple as donating clothes to high school kids in need, or organizing a canned-food drive. Small gestures such as this can have a huge impact on the community. You can always do something for other people, you can always make an impact, no matter what situation God places you."
