June 9, 2017
Outside hitter Enija Bidzane brought a new style of volleyball to the Auburn program this past year as the now sophomore hails from Talsi, Latvia. As a freshman, she provided depth on the outside for the Tigers, bringing a range of ability to the court.
Bidzane, an art major, is spending the summer on The Plains and caught up with AuburnTigers.com.
Q: When did you start playing volleyball?
A: "I started when I was 14. My brother played and my parents said, 'Enija, you should go and play a sport.' I asked what were my choices? My mom said volleyball or volleyball. I was like OK! Volleyball it is!"
Q: What do you like to do outside of volleyball?
A: "I paint and draw. I paint mostly abstract things. I like doodling and putting something on paper. [My favorite] is back at home. It's a picture of my house."
Q: What's one city or place you want to visit in the United States but haven't yet?
A: "New York. I like big cities, so I think New York would be a good fit for me." (Lived in a big city in Latvia for two years).
Q: What was the first place/city you visited in the United States?
A: "Indiana with one of my teammates. It was the first break for us in the summer, and she said why don't you come home with me. I went with her and it was awesome. Her house is awesome. Indiana is much like Latvia. It's more nature and not as many houses and it felt like home."
Q: What were some of the reasons you chose Auburn over other universities?
A: "When I talked to coaches through Skype, I already felt at home. The home feeling was important to me because I am so far away from my home. It just clicked with Auburn."
Q: What was it like competing for the Latvia team at the 2015 Women's European Championship?
A: "It was unbelievable. I have been on national teams for all my years and then I got into the Latvian women's team and it was an amazing experience for me."
Q: What is the biggest difference(s) in playing style between college volleyball in the United States and European countries?
A: "The biggest difference is when people change (substitutions). It is different in the way that here the libero serves. That's something new. One of the outside players rotates all six positions (in the United States), but back in Europe, all outside hitters rotate all the way, so there are not many changes on defense."
Q: Besides your family, what do you miss most about Latvia?
A: "Food. In Latvia, bread is the best thing ever. It's darker. There are not as many ingredients as I read in American bread. There are a lot of words that I don't even understand. In Latvia, there's flour, water and you just make the bread out of it."
Q: How did you injure your knee?
A: "In practice I just jumped to hit the ball and I landed wrong on my one leg. It was hyperextended, so I thought it was OK. It just hurts but it will probably go away. I jumped the second time and I fell. Then, I understood it wasn't going to get better. Then all the X-rays, the MRI, and then everything led to surgery. My ACL was more than 50 percent torn."
Q: Besides the physical pain, what's the toughest part about dealing with your knee injury?
A: "Mental. The first month was really really hard for me, mentally. Just to get through pain of course, and the thought of not being able to be in practices because I got injured. In the spring when all the volleyball stuff starts, I got injured there. It broke my heart. I put so much work in and it all just poofed."
Q: How did it feel having one of your best performances versus Alabama last season with 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage?
A: "It was awesome. It was unbelievable. I was so happy the coaches trusted me and I just wanted to show them that I can play and I can compete even though I am a freshman. I just went out and played with all that I had inside of me and put it on the court. My emotions were there and if my emotions are there, the game is flowing for me. It was awesome."
Q: What are some personal goals you have set for the 2017 season?
A: "Get back and be as confident as I can. Believe that my knee and my left leg will do its job. To put myself out there and not be afraid."
Q: Has any teacher pronounced your first or last name correctly on the first try?
A: "No. No. When they call everybody's names, when they get to my name and pause for a long time, then I know it's me. Americans don't say "j's" as we do in Latvia and that's the most important part of my name."
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