October 29th
Nika's P.O.V
The woman's basketball team gathered together in our team room to watch the championship in the New York volleyball tournament. Paige turning the TV to the correct channel. However my mind was still on the message she had sent me earlier asking if we could talk when she got back to Connecticut. Of course I had instantly responded, wanting nothing more.
She had also apologized for not responding which I appreciated as well.
"Awww, look at Alyssa boo." Kk comments as the camera catches the teams walking out, a bowl of chips in her hand as she sits on one of the couches we had in the team room, Caroline and Aubrey sat on her sides whike Paige, Maia, Azzi and I sat on another couch, the rest of the girls scattered between standing or sitting on the floor.
"It is so good to be here casting today's New York Exhibition Championship Uconn vs St. John's University with you, Bianca!"
"Likewise Dave."
The casters make theirselves known one of them being a caster I had heard before at Uconn's own volleyball games. The announcers continue with introductions, the camera panning to each of the starters as they do, each doing a little wave or introduction sort of ritual.
"And last but not least, one of Uconn's newest but very recognizable faces is their number 4, Alyssa Knight who seems to be playing the position of outside hitter tonight."
The girls in the room cheered, Kk screaming as she yelled Alyssa's name. On screen, Alyssa glances at straight at the camera, waving before pointing at the number four and uconn written on her chest with a wink. The group laughs and Kk whistles.
"Now Dave, their previous libero was injured yesterday, leaving a sophomore to fill their shoes for the night. Kalea did an amazing job if doing so but do you think she'll be able to do the same tonight?"
"We'll definitely just have to wait and see."
"Now as a reminder for everyone watching at home. This is Uconn's first appearance in this tournament in over 3 years as it is invitation only. And anyone who watched volleyball knew Uconn's record wasn't anything to beat about."
"Damn, they aren't pulling any punches huh? Azzi says, leaning back the couch.
"The media never does." I comment and the room nods in agreement, the announcers voice starting to fade a bit as I focused on the game playing on screen as it started. The rest of the girls around me also grew slightly quieter as we watched.
Uconn loses the first set by alot, 15-25 and I could see that the stand in libero they were talking about was heavily struggling. Uconn's team huddle near their bench, and suddenly Alyssa was being given a blue jersey, the opposite to the white the team was changing
"Oh shit?" Paige says sitting up, "They're changing her spot?" And before she even fully finishes the sentence the announcers speak up.
"And it seems like Alyssa Knight is being switched to playing libero for the night! This isn't her first time playing libero as she went between libero and outside hitter during highschool and excelled at it. However, how will she fair with her first time playing the position in a college match?" The female announcers speaks.
My eyes stay on Alyssa, the camera starting to look in skightly as the girl changes into the different jersey, taking her hair down and putting it into a tighter ponytail before tucking her necklace that she was wearing underneath her jersey.
I wasn't there to hold it for her this time.
"They have her practice libero still despite her not playing there... she should be fine.. right?" Maia asks, with us knowing how bad Alyssa's anxiety could get. In a new role in an important game I knew how bad it could turn if she let it get to her.
I lean up, watching the screen and trying to gauge the girl's reaction, however I wasn't able to really tell as the camera panned out again, looking over the court view again.
"With the second set starting up, are they able to bring this back after such a beating in the first?" Dave asks.
The camera pans back into Alyssa again, the girl talking to Jess and Ryan on the court, what she was saying was unknown.
"I better see her dive for everyball." Quandances voice makes the room laugh as the next starts up, the set opening with Alyssa making a perfect pass, Uconn scoring on a hard hit by Jess.
The girls cheer, Ryan pushing Alyssa in a celebration before saying something to her.
I laugh, being able to read the girls lips.
"That's what the fuck I'm talking about!" Azzi laughs, confirming that she understood what the girl said as well on TV.
Paige claps her hands, laughing. Maia shaking her head while she leans back into her. "Alright A, I see you."
The game continues on like this for a good minute, Alyssa proving to be a good choice to change into the position as the game was much closer, Uconn winning by 1 at 16-15 for the moment.
Ryan goes back to serve, the ball falling short and hitting the middle on the other side of the net, the player shanking the ball.
"That was a good spot, what the fuck." Caroline says and I nod, agreeing with the girl. Ryan serves again and this time the team returns it, a ball getting hit towards Alyssa who dives to the less, getting it up before bouncing back up, getting ready incase the ball comes back over, only for Jess to get a stuff block, another point for Uconn.
"How does she even dive like that?? I swear I would break like 6 bones." Kk laughs, before standing up, frying to copy the move, only to hold her hip as she's on the ground, "Ah, cramp! Ice, help!" She calls, reaching her hand out to the laughing girl who was recording her.
"Nah, get your dumbass up KK." Ice laughs.
"Wait guys," Evina says quieting them, pointing at the screen. "Look."
Our attention turns from KK's antics to the screen, Uconn's team huddled around Alyssa, the girl rubbing at her thigh with a wince in her face.
My eyes instantly stay on her, the girl shaking her head as a trainer starting to come over to her saying something to them before waving her hands at her teammates. The group disbanding as thr timeout ends, the team getting back into their positions.
"And it seems like Alyssa seems to have tweaked a muscle a bit but as she waves the trainer off to continue playing, she shows off the grit we all know her for." Dave speaks
"She went a month without getting hurt at all... That's a new record." Maia jokes slightly.
I roll my eyes slightly at the comment with fondness behind the action obviously. That was her best friend, she knew that girl like the back of the hand yet it didn't mean she never worried the shit out of her, or me.
I pick up my phone, shooting a quick text over to Alyssa asking if she was okay, knowing she would see it after the game. After the apology and promise to talk when she was back, we talked a bit more like normal before she had to go prepare for the championship game.
Uconn won the next two sets, giving them the advantage of 2 sets to 1, and if they won the next set, they would officially be the exhibition Champs, a bragging right to bring to the schools team after a few continously bad seasons.
It was a tough watch, the announcers showing their surprise as well when good rallies would commence, the plays only seeming to get longer and longer the more the game went on, showing both teams determination to win.
Alyssa dropped to a knee, picking up a Jess's blocked hit, letting her team get the ball up again for another shot, their current outside hitter, sending it to St.Johns side. My eyes stay on the screen aa the close score of 17-15, us continues to be played. St.John keeps passes the hit, sending it to their opposite who Jess is too slow to close the block, giving them a strong shot to the right side of our own court.
Alyssa and one of her teammates make a move towards a ball, Alyssa calling for it aa she dives but so does the other. The two colliding as Alyssa's head collides into her teammates knee as she had been the first to dive towards the ball, her head snapping back slightly as the ball hits her teammates arms going up, but Alyssa stays laying on the ground, unmoving. Ryan rushing to her side.
I instantly stand up, the rest of the room going deathly silent.
"Oh Bianca, this is never a good sign. That collision seemed to have Carley's knee jam right into Knight's head, and with the unmoving libero it is a huge call for concern."
5 minutes had passed with the girl still not moving, a stretcher being brought onto the scene as the paramedics are zoomed in on. The men carefully attach a pad to the unconscious girls neck, picking her up and putting her onto the stretcher before she was wheeled to the hallway and preassumingly escorted to the ambluence waiting outside.
My heart races as the camera trails the scene before suddenly turning back to the game, the previous libero returning into the position as the team wins 21-16, the volleyball team not letting an inch of a point fall on their side after Alyssa's injury.
The gym yells as the team cheers as well, getting T-shirts hats and plaques. Their coach also getting interviewed. But the only thing I focus on is Ryan talking to Jess in the background before running off into the hallway in a rush. KK shuts the TV off after that.
"Good win... But fuck..." Ice groans, hands coming to her head as I continue to look towards even the blank screen, eyes tearing away from it to look at a now anxious Maia being comforted by Nika.
Azzi's phone begins to ring and I snap my eyes towards the sound. Her and Ryan talked ever since Alyssa's birthday. I forgot about that.
"Ry?" She questions, the anxiousness in her voice full fledged. She puts the FaceTime on the speaker before popping it up on the table infront of us so the team could crowd around.
Ryan glances down at the screen before her side of the facetime jerks around, airpod in her ear as the girl was obviously rushing. Still in her game jersey.
"I'm on the way to the hospital now. I told Jess to let Coach know, even though Coach knew that's where I was headed the moment the game ended." I pause hearing her say that, thankful for Alyssa to have atleast one close friend on her own team. The girl forgo a championship celebration, her first at the school, to check in on her.
"Was it as bad as it looked from TV..?" I ask quietly, Ryan having ran outside before looking around, the hospital must have been close for her to not need a ride.
Ryan doesn't respond for a second, the only sound being her breathing as the girl jogs. "Yeah.. I think worst honestly. We could hear when the two collided." Most of the girls on the team visibly cringe and Ryan shivers. "The sound was not pretty." She huffs before the background changes from a night time sky to white florescent lights. It was about 5 minutes into the call with the girl jogging and she was already there.
"I'm here for an update to Alyssa Knight's condition? She came in about 30 minutes ago?"
"Are you family or guardian?"
"Guardian." The girl answers simply, showing some type of papers before going to sit down in the waiting room after she was told that Alyssa wasn't allowed visitors yet and was still getting checked over.
"How did you..?" Azzi asks the question everyone was wondering.
"Coach. I'm not sure exactly how she does it but she's listed as Guardian for all of us. We use her identification if things like these happen from time to time because... yeah." She ends, the current reason going unspoken. The girl sighs, sitting back in the chair. Ryan takes her hair out of tight ponytail the girl was wearing, letting her long almost waist length hair fall down her shoulders, running a hand through it frustrated. The incident taking a toll on us all.
Azzi and Ryan talk mostly while the other girls wait, trying to see if Alyssa was okay.
I sat with Maia and Paige, the two talking quietly amongst themselves as I look down, before glancing up, feeling a hand on my knee, topping its bouncing. I look uo, seeing Maia looking at me, "She'll be okay." She speaks with a confidence she didn't show before, Paige did well calming her down.
I wish the same could be said for me. As I try to give a semi-convincing smile to the girl infront of me, Azzi walks over to us with her phone in hand, the other girls distracted in separated conversations.
"Ryan got word back so far.. She woke up a bit into the ambulence ride." She says, sitting down as we make room for her. "They're saying she has a fractured arm from the weird way she landed after she got knocked out. That and a grade three concussion because of how long she was knocked out for."
"Any memory loss?" I ask knowing how my sister went though a few concussions herself.
"Just a bit from from a few minutes leading up to the play and then obviously getting knocked out and the trip to the hospital."
I nod slightly, letting Maia ask a few questions.
"We were supposed to be flying back tonight but we're going to be flying back tomorrow night to give Alyssa some time to recover enough to atleast make the plane flight back, I'll call you tomorrow Azzi?"
The girl nods, the team thanking her before she hangs up.
"She really can't catch a break huh.." KK mutters to the room around us, and I just chuckle softly, not much emotion it it.
"I guess not."