Offseason Conversation with Erika Pritchard

October 4, 2024 - Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF)
Grand Rapids Rise News Release

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Get to know outside hitter Erika Pritchard in the fourth edition of our "Offseason Conversation" series with the Grand Rapids Rise. Pritchard talks about re-joining the Rise for a second season, recovering from injuries, the mindset of an attacker and much more.

Welcome back for a second season with the Rise! This is your first chance to play consecutive seasons with the same team since your college days at Maryland. How does that feel?

I'm so excited. It's so nice to go back to somewhere that has already been established after having the first season. Everything was so new last season, but now it's easier to go back to something that has already laid a good foundation. I'm really looking forward to building and keep improving on what we already have accomplished.

How was your summer? What have you been up to?

I have had a great offseason. I have been able to do a lot of very different things in my time back home [in Maryland]. It's been a balance of being active while also having some much-needed down time. Right after the season, I went on a family vacation to Costa Rica. I also had a lot of quality time and trips throughout the summertime with friends. I worked at a few middle and high school volleyball camps, did a lot of volleyball clinics with my former club, and taught some private lessons. I was able to reconnect with my old high school and talk with the girls on the team. It's just been a good balance between training and doing things I enjoy. It's been really fulfilling.

You missed the first half of last season recovering from an ACL injury. Given the circumstances, with you joining a brand new league at the time, what was the most challenging part of going through the recovery process last season?

It was really difficult to be honest. But I have such a great support system around me, from my teammates to the medical staff to [Rise head coach] Cathy George. Everyone was so supportive and patient with me coming back. That's one thing that I really appreciated. But it was hard playing in the big arenas at first. My first match that I came back, I hadn't really played in a match in about a year, and now I was being thrown into a match in front of thousands of fans. It's always a mental game coming back from an injury. But once you get into it and the more you do it, the easier it becomes. It's amazing that I got to play in the championship match at the end. It was awesome to see the progress that I made and support that was around me. I really, really appreciated it.

Grand Rapids Rise outside hitter Erika Pritchard (Nicolas Carrillo)

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Pro Volleyball Federation Stories from October 4, 2024

• Offseason Conversation with Erika Pritchard - Grand Rapids Rise

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