Alex Kelly is the only Lipscomb student who can lay claim to spending a part of her winter playing professional volleyball in Germany.
While she’s now back on campus getting ready for graduation, she got her chance to sample the world of professional volleyball over Christmas break after signing a contract with a team in Germany.
It started when volleyball coach Brandon Rosenthal called her about a team from Germany that needed a middle hitter.
The trip got off to something of an uncomfortable start after the airlines lost her luggage and didn’t locate it for six days.
“That was a struggle,” Kelly said.
The team there was exactly what she expected from a pro team, with winning being their only focus. This was an entirely different mindset from college athletics in which homework, papers and GPA are all important.
Kelly said she loved almost everything about Germany, from the culture to the freezing cold weather. She didn’t like the management of her team, though.
“I didn’t feel like I was treated with the respect that you expect and deserve,” Kelly said. “The team was run like a business and the players were not looked at as important. I had so much going for me here at Lipscomb, it was too hard to give it up and be treated that way.”
With all those things behind her, Kelly decided to come back to Lipscomb and finish up her studies. She plans on graduating in May with a degree in marketing and a minor in communications.
Once she gets her diploma, Kelly plans on trying her hand at professional volleyball again in Europe. While she does not know exactly where that will take her, she is filled with anticipation.
She also relishes her time a Lipscomb. In fact, the volleyball team members got their championship rings for the 2010 season on March 9. For Kelly that was a strong finish to the amateur chapter of her career.
Next time around in the professional world Kelly plans on doing things differently.
“I am going to ask a lot more questions and require more things to be written in my contract,” Kelly said. “I now know the ropes and it will pay off in the end.”