Kayleigh Hames, a freshman outside hitter on the women's indoor volleyball team, talks about her first weeks at Pepperdine and how she found herself far from home:
 
Q: You're a freshman here at Pepperdine. How have your first few weeks been?

A: It's been really good. Obviously with playing a sport, it's been hectic. We're always on a time plan so it's a lot, but we always know what we're doing. It's been really good.
 
Q: The team was here over the summer. How did those practices go and what did you all do for fun when off the court?

A: Those practices were actually really helpful for us. We don't have the coach there in the summer, so it would be really easy for us to slack off, but we really took that time to work really hard. When our coaches came later in the summer, we were super ready. Off days, we would go to the beach. One day we went paddle boarding as a team, which was really fun.
 
Q: You've been in the starting lineup as a freshman. What did you expect coming onto the team?

A: There's a really good group of girls in my position with Hannah Frohling and Shannon Scully. I wasn't really expecting to start or anything. I just came in with the mindset of "I want to learn, want to work hard, and see where that gets me."
 
Q: How do you think you and the team have played over the first two weeks?

A: I think we've played overall really well. This year's team, from what our coaches have said, is one of the best teams in the preseason so far for Pepperdine. That's really exciting. I think we're still learning how to play with each other since I hadn't played with any of these girls before.
 
Q: Based on how you've played the past two weeks, what are some goals for the rest of the season?

A: For myself, just to continue to grow within my abilities of what I can do. For the team, I'd say the same thing; just to grow and learn and play for each other.
 
Q: You're originally from Tennessee, how did you decide on Pepperdine?

A: I always watched Zoey 101. A lot of it was filmed here. I used to think, "If I have the opportunity, I want to go to this school." I really found my way here through volleyball and the recruitment process. Honestly, I've always wanted to come to California. I was born in San Diego, so I'm a California girl at heart. I just found myself wandering out here.
 
Q: Your mother played volleyball on the collegiate and national level. How has her experience helped guide your own volleyball journey?

A: She's one of my most influential people when it comes to volleyball, honestly. She knows how it is to be a collegiate athlete, so just having her support has really helped me. Being an athlete is tough, and everyone knows that. She's been a really big support to me.