Pitt’s Levers gets taste of Croatia
It’s pretty common for college athletes to put in time over the summer to practice and improve their games.
It’s a bit more unusual for that training to take them more than 4,000 miles from home.
But that’s the case for Kylee Levers, a ChartiersHouston graduate and redshirt freshman for Pitt volleyball.
Levers traveled to Croatia this week to participate in the European Global Challenge, an international volleyball tournament featuring teams from Israel, Slovenia, Italy and the Czech Republic.
The tournament, which has under-17 and under-23 divisions, allows American collegiate players to get a taste of international experience, which includes different rules and even a slightly different ball than in the NCAA.
“Not really different, but it’s definitely a challenge to adjust to international rules, international volleyballs," Levers said. “But I mean, obviously I welcome it with open arms, trying to expand my view of volleyball itself.”
The process that ultimately landed Levers in Eastern Europe started a few months ago, when her coach at Pitt, Dan Fisher, approached her about possibly playing in the tournament. Fisher had been involved with the European Global Challenge in the past, and two of Levers’ teammates — Mariah Bell and Angela Seman — played in it in 2015.
Fisher said he could talk to Eric Schulze, coach of the Bring It Promotions Midwest team for the tournament, and ask if he needed another setter, Levers’ position.
From there, Levers said, “it just kind of fell into place.” She had never been to Europe before, but she had no reservations about crossing the Atlantic for the first time.
“I was really interested in coming over here and being able to see everything ,” Levers said. “That’s kind of how it started.”
Levers and the rest of her teammates arrived in Europe last week, starting their trip in Prague, Czech Republic, for some practices, scrimmages — or “friendlies,” in European parlance — and sightseeing before the tournament started.
“We tried to take in as much as possible without actually ruining our legs because we do want to play pretty hard,” Levers said.
The time in Prague was especially memorable for Levers, who can trace her ancestry back to Czechoslovakia.
“Being here is kind of crazy thinking about this is where my great-grandparents were,” she said.
“This is where they grew up, this is what they did. It’s really nice to be here.”
Eventually, it was time to get down to business on the volleyball court. The biggest adjustment Levers said, to international rules is the smaller number of substitutions teams are afforded. “It really takes a lot of resilience, because you can’t just get subbed out if you’re not playing well,” Levers said. “You have to play through it. “At the end of the day, Eric told me, it’s still volleyball. There’s still a net, there’s still a ball. It’s the same game, just a couple of different rules.” Ultimately, though, that slight change is one that Levers thinks will help her in her second season with the Pitt volleyball program this fall. She redshirted as a freshman after earning all-section honors three times at ChartiersHouston. This year, she’s ready to get on the court, and is hoping this international lesson will be of some assistance there. "Being here and not being able to be taken out when I’m not playing my best, that’ll help me be able to get myself out of situations on the court, where maybe I think I need to be taken out,” Levers said. “Just being able to be resilient, that’s one thing.” team Levers thatto a will has Pitt also some volleyballbe momentum returning heading into next fall. The Panthers made the NCAA tournament for the , first time in 12 seasons last year, and advanced to the second round before losing to Penn State.
Levers called reaching that stage a “huge, huge accomplishment,” but said it has only fueled their motivation to go even further next time around.
Even in voluntary workouts this summer, the desire to get back there and do more is ever-present.
“We can’t just settle now,” Levers said. “We’ve got to keep pushing, keep getting better, keep working harder.
“The energy on our team, everyone is gunning toward that. Everyone’s out there, everyone’s doing extra, doing the things they know is going to get us better for preseason. We’re going to take everything that we have, go out there and show that Pitt volleyball isn’t a one-time wonder.”
And for her, personally, Levers is excited to get on the court with her teammates after redshirting in 2016.
“I want to contribute to my team,” she said. “Whether that’s being a starter or just coming in for however many rotations, I just want to contribute to what is Pitt volleyball. Because we’re something special, and our team’s going to be something special this fall.”