Lauren Forte was named to the 12-person roster for the USA College National Team. At the end of May, the team traveled to Japan to take on the Japanese National Team in seven contests. During that time, Forte found herself immersed in a new atmosphere with new people, including her USA teammates. While overseas, the Golden Bear middle blocker was able to make connections on and off the court as she learned more about herself and the game of volleyball than she could have imagined. She shares some of her experiences below.

On playing with a completely new team in a new setting…
The team was made of 12 women from all over the nation who have never played together before and three coaches who have never coached us. We were put together and asked to play seven games against teams we didn't scout or know anything about.
 
Playing in Japan was extremely different than playing at any college or with any other national teams we have here in the United States. Their system of play is completely different and the Japanese players were all like a whole head shorter than the players on the U.S. team.  Although it may have looked like a disadvantage for them, their system allows them to play relentless defense and made it very hard for us to score a point. Their style of play was very admirable and it is something that I will always remember and I would like to see in our gym at Cal. 
 
 
On food culture…
My time in Japan was an experience that I will never forget and my favorite part of it was the food and cultural experience that came with dining at a lot of different places. Japanese culture, when it comes to eating, is very different from America. As I found out, chopstick etiquette is something that should be learned before going out to eat in Japan - this includes not sticking your chopsticks into the rice bowl upright and making sure that when you set them down, you lay them across your bowl because it is considered respectful. Another thing that I really appreciated about Japanese culture is that you should never pour your own drink. It is customary to pour drinks for others and let them do the same for you. Before you drink, a toast is always initiated by yelling "kam-pai" and clanking your glasses together.
 
 
On visiting a Buddhist temple…
Something really unique I did in Japan was go to Sensoji, a Buddhist temple in Tokyo. At the temple, they have something called Omikuji, which are traditional Japanese fortune-telling paper strips. This was a very interesting experience to say the least. You start by paying ¥100 (yen) for your fortune, and then you shake a box that is filled with numbered sticks and pull one out. Once you pull out a stick, you find the number on it that corresponds with one of the drawers and pull your fortune out. The fortunes range from great fortune and blessings to bad fortune and curses. Luckily, I got a good fortune, but if you do not choose a good fortune you absolutely cannot hang on to it! You must tie it to a pole that is provided when you leave the temple.
 
 
On the overall experience…
The experience with the USA Collegiate National Team was something that will impact the way that I deal with adversity. I learned how to perform to the best of my ability even though it may be uncomfortable or tough to work through. The team was a mixture of players and coaches who have never played or coached together and it made me learn how to be comfortable being uncomfortable in situations, and to focus on working through hardships.
 
Throughout this experience I learned that not only do I need a break from rice for a while, but that volleyball really is such a universal sport. It was amazing that we could get on the court with a language and cultural barrier between the USA team and the Japanese team and still be able to compete, have fun, grow relationships, while playing a sport we love.