URI freshman finishes year with 194 kills, named to A-10 All-Rookie volleyball team

12/03/08 - University of Rhode Island freshman Kayla Wilson had a successful first season with the Rams, finishing the year with 194 kills. This was probably just one of the reasons she was named to the women's volleyball Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.

"Being named to the All-Rookie team came as a bit of a surprise for me," Wilson said. "I didn't know too much about it, so when my dad told me I won I was kind of shocked."

The six-foot outside hitter from Santa Monica, Calif., has made a smooth transition into her life across the country in Rhode Island.

"The girls on the team were very welcoming to me," Wilson said. "I love the coaches. They did a great job this year."

College teams will often have pre-game rituals as a way to build team chemistry and get pumped up for matches. According to Wilson, the team would dance in the locker room to get them psyched up to play.

"Personally I like to listen to mash-ups before the games," Wilson said. "Mash-ups are a bunch of songs mixed together by a DJ. They really get me pumped up."

Before games Wilson can be found eating at one of the dining halls at URI, with chocolate milk in front of her.

"I'm obsessed with chocolate milk," Wilson said. "I have about three glasses of it with every meal."

The Rams finished the year 14-14, and fell just shy of making the Atlantic 10 championships.

"The season was rough in the beginning," Wilson said. "Toward the middle of the year we had some crucial victories, and we had a pretty good finish. It's a shame we didn't make it to the tournament, but we will make it next year."

Wilson has done her share of traveling this year. The Rams played numerous matches on the road this season, presenting a challenge for the student-athletes to balance out schoolwork and volleyball.

"My semester's courses weren't too challenging," Wilson said. "Although there was a lot of traveling, it wasn't too difficult to handle."

The Rams had many highs and lows during the course of the season, but one moment stood out in Wilson's eyes.

"Beating Xavier [University] at home in front of our biggest crowd was great," she said. "After they beat us at their place, it was nice to beat them in front of a big audience."

Wilson's volleyball career began when she was in third grade. She brought home a flier for elementary school sports, and her parents suggested trying volleyball. Although she didn't know much about the sport, she gave it a shot.

"I fell in love with the sport," Wilson said. "I started playing club volleyball in fourth grade, and I've been playing ever since."

Wilson is one of four members of the team who are from California, and one of 10 girls who are from outside of the Northeast Region.

"I've always wanted to go to school on the East Coast," Wilson said. "At the end of my junior year I made a visit [to URI], and fell in love with the place. I knew I would fit in and that I would enjoy playing volleyball here."

Wilson discussed some of the differences between sunny California and the wintry weather of the Northeast.

"When I traveled to New York recently, it snowed," Wilson said. "It was the first snow I had ever seen, it was really exciting.