Aug. 22, 2017
Auburn volleyball's Jesse Earl was given an opportunity of a lifetime this summer to represent her country overseas. She donned the Red, White, and Blue as a part of the USA Volleyball Collegiate National Team in July, competing for the United States in Croatia.
"I found out I made the team when I was in class," Earl said. "I immediately called (head coach) Rick (Nold) and asked if this was serious. My heart was beating so fast. I hadn't ever been out of the country before so I was so excited and ready for the experience."
The announcement from USA Volleyball came April 10 following a three-day tryout in March at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Out of the 238 at the tryout, Earl and her ten other teammates were chosen to travel to Pula, Croatia, and compete in the 13th Annual European Global Challenge.
"The tryout was really an eye-opener, seeing all the great talent in the country in the same place," Earl said. "It was a great experience playing with some of the best in the country and we all loved going to the gym every day."
Earl, a senior libero from Indianapolis, and her team traveled to Maribor, Slovenia, to put in a couple days of practice and sightseeing before the four-day tournament kicked off on July 11 in Croatia. Volleyball is a sport dependent on team chemistry and the compatibility of Earl's team was apparent from the start.
"We really clicked right away and loved being around each other," Earl said. "That showed on the court every day. It was one of those things where I knew we are all going to be friends for a long time. We immediately had that trust which is needed to be successful on the court."
There were representatives from all over the country on the national squad, but Earl was the only libero selected to the team. That gave her the opportunity to not only get plenty of playing time, but also gain ownership of her role.
"I didn't feel really any pressure because I felt so comfortable with my teammates around me on the court," Earl said. "I really settled into my position quickly because I was the only person and if I messed up, I had no choice but to fix it right away. It was my job and I had to do my job for my team to be successful."
And the CNT-Europe team was successful. The squad went through the whole tournament undefeated and finished with a 3-0 win over student-athletes from the Mountain West Conference to capture the U23 title.
Earl credits the team's ability to play together to the gold-medal finish.
"We had the skill level, but our chemistry really helped push us to win," Earl said. "We all felt very comfortable playing together and that was a big reason why we were able to win."
Now heading into her final season with the Tigers, Earl hopes to bring a new perspective to the court and help her team reach their goals in 2017.
"This experience helped me realize that we're (Auburn) just as capable of reaching our goals," Earl said. "We love playing together and that will allow us to establish high expectations for ourselves. This experience also gave me a new perspective of the sport and how to approach and help my teammates throughout the year."
In addition, this experience has given Earl a new goal after her eligibility is up on The Plains.
"This really showed me that I have what it takes to play professionally after college," Earl said. "I know what I need to work on to achieve that goal because it exposed me to the international style of volleyball. I always knew I wanted to continue after college and now I have a set plan. Being a part of the national team made me more comfortable with my future and has given me more opportunities to play volleyball for as long as I possibly can."
The Tigers open the 2017 season in Atlanta, traveling to Georgia Tech's Hyatt Regency Invitational, Aug. 25-26. Auburn opens with a match vs. the Yellow Jackets Friday and follows with tilts against No. 17 Michigan State and Furman Saturday.
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