Anna Mychal has spent almost her entire life playing volleyball.
“My grandfather was a volleyball coach,” said Michal, a sophomore outside hitter for the Albany girls volleyball team. [and so did] my brother [and] Two cousins. So I think it was more of a family tradition. I also wanted to play volleyball. ”
She has been preparing for her third collegiate season with the Great Danes in recent weeks with spring practices and games. Michal, who lives in Poltava, Ukraine, came to campus two years ago.
“I think [in] “I spent a lot of my childhood playing outside with other children,” she said, recalling her time in central Ukraine. “I played a lot of soccer. I love soccer and I played with the boys. It was a lot of fun.”
Michal attended high school in Poland and participated in an elite volleyball program.
“The project was really big and we had some of the best players in the country,” Michal said. “We took second and third place at the national competition.”
But just as she was finishing her last year of high school and preparing for college, Russia invaded Ukraine. Michal was still in Poland when the war began.
“I called [my family] And everyone was so scared,” she said. “I was also very scared. I couldn't eat or sleep for several days. Everyone was just watching the news.”
Michal says his hometown has largely avoided conflict since the war began two years ago. She says she has to deal with air raid sirens as missiles approach her home state.
“No one left. No one went anywhere,” Michal said. “They had the opportunity to go to Poland and other countries. But instead, they want to stay here, because that's where they lived. He has a job and a family.”
Meanwhile, Michal was preparing to come to the United States to play college volleyball. She was actually scheduled to take a virtual tour of Albany the day the war began. Michal liked her family atmosphere and coaches, so she later committed to Great Danes.
“I mainly just want to talk to my family and know if they're OK,” Michal said. “How are they doing? And that's enough for me. Then I can focus on practice and school.”
This winter, she returned to Poltava for the first time in five years and spent Christmas with her family. Michal is also playing for her master's degree here in the United States, and she hopes to continue playing volleyball in Europe after she graduates.
“There are a lot of opportunities in America, so I think that’s definitely a motivator,” Maichal said. “And I'm thinking about my future. I'm going to do my best in school and practice to make this future better.”
