July 1, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - It has been an exciting week for five new members of the UCF volleyball team, as they rolled into campus late last week to move into their dorms, attend orientation and begin their journey at UCF with class on Monday.
Geli Crump, Dani Harrison, Tory McCutcheon, Nicole Reidel and Brittanie Wallace arrived on campus last Wednesday to move into their new residences at the Towers at Knights Plaza.
Even with family members assisting with check-ins, moving and unpacking, the day turned interesting for Wallace. A transfer from Sam Houston State, Wallace and her grandmothers got an unexpected lesson in the Florida Expressway and accidentally misplaced her room key.
"Well, besides the move-in day being a little stressful - I got lost on the toll way, paid a toll when I wasn't supposed to, didn't pay a toll when I was supposed to and I lost my key to my room and had to run down and have someone let us in again - I am here now and couldn't be more excited," Wallace said.
Once she was safely back in her room, Wallace began bringing her belongings from her car, a task her grandmothers were more than happy to help with.
"My grandmas were helping me move in, and that was an experience," Wallace said. "After trying to carry a big box with my TV on top of it, they stuck to carrying all the pillows and stuff like that."
Moving into the dorms is not a new experience for Wallace, but this time around she is definitely happier with the comforts of her new residence.
"These dorms (at UCF) are a lot bigger than the ones I lived in (at Sam Houston State)," Wallace said. "At Sam Houston we just had a mini-fridge and a sink, basically, whereas here we have the full refrigerator, dishwasher and a stove and oven too. The rooms are bigger here as well. I only had a twin bed there, and here the dorms are furnished with a full bed, which makes it a lot better."
Freshmen McCutcheon and Harrison arrived on campus at the same time, only to find out that they would be roommates for the upcoming year. The pair traveled from completely different places, but their trips were almost exactly the same length with no bumps along the way.
McCutcheon, a native of Milton, Ontario, Canada, her parents and her sister started their trip Tuesday night.
"My parents, my sister and I drove down to Buffalo last night and crossed the border, and then flew out early this morning," McCutcheon said. "It was only about a two-hour flight. It was pretty quick. It was actually probably shorter than Dani (Harrison)'s trip."
Harrison came to UCF from Tallahassee, where she attended Florida State University High School. Her drive to Orlando with her mother took about four hours from the state capitol.
"Well, our trip down took about four hours, but it was a nice, easy drive," Harrison said.
Now that they are all here and moved into the dorms, the young women all agree that it makes them that much more excited to meet their new teammates and gear up for the 2009 volleyball season.
"It is a lot more exciting now that I am finally here," McCutcheon said. "I can't wait to meet the team and start playing. I think that's going to be the best part."
"Now that I'm moved into the dorms, I'm very excited," Wallace said. "I can't wait to meet my roommates and my teammates. I am so excited to go lay by the pool, start practice, go to classes and start working out. It is going to be fun."
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
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