Senior Enjoying The Opportunity To Compete Over The Summer
 Looking to be at her best in her final collegiate season, University of Evansville senior volleyball player Rachel Tam is playing for her native Hong Kong in the 2019 Asian Women’s U23 Volleyball Championship. The host city for the championships is Hanoi, Vietnam.
“It is absolutely wonderful being able to represent Hong Kong,†Tam said. “Having the opportunity to play my old teammates, I’m really grateful. I cherish every moment playing with them.â€
Action in the tournament began on July 13 and runs through the 21st. Tam and her squad have enjoyed a solid start, opening with a 3-0 sweep of Sri Lanka. Her squad followed a 3-0 loss to Kazakhstan up with a 3-0 win over Macau on Monday.
“I think this tournament can help me prepare my “game day mindset†and practice consistency,†Tam explained.
The tournament features 14 countries and regions. Hong Kong is in Group D and has already faced the other three squads in the group (Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Macau). Tam played in the same tournament in 2017, helping the team to a 6th place finish. She is motivated to help her team to a better finish in 2019 and also hopes the experience translates to her senior season with the Purple Aces.
“We have been practicing hard since preseason,†she exclaimed. “With the experience we had from last season and the input of talented freshmen class, we are looking to get into the MVC tournament.â€
Tam is coming off of an excellent junior season that saw her rank second in the MVC with 4.21 kills per set on her way to a spot on the All-Missouri Valley Conference Second Team.
