Meet LadyBack Rachel Dunnahoe
Hello All… My name is Rachel Dunnahoe and I am the Arkansas LadyBacks Volleyball Team Manager… I am writing this after what has been an exciting and difficult week all in one… I am a senior this year, making this my last season unless I able to pursue a masters degree… As you might imagine after being with the team for 4 years the thought of parting is very hard… This past Friday night was senior night and I just can’t believe my journey through college is coming to an end… I look back on it now and it has all gone by so very fast… God has blessed me so much through it all that I can’t even begin to thank Him enough… He gave me an incredible opportunity to do what I like (work with the volleyball team); as well as, do what I love (serve Him)… He gave me an amazing platform in which to share Him with others…
Friday night was a big night for me because the realization of how much I truly will miss volleyball hit me… I say volleyball, but in reality it isn’t just volleyball it is the entire experience He has allowed me to have… I have had the chance to travel all over the world, seeing things I probably never would have seen any other way… I have worked with wonderful people whom I will cherish forever… People who have blessed my life in more ways than one could possibly imagine… The relationships go far beyond the court, into truly caring about one another… This leads me to my girls (the team)… I may never know to what extent I have impacted each of their lives, but I will never forget how they have impacted my life… I love each of them dearly and look forward to seeing where we all end up…
I want to share with all of you one of the memories that will stay with me always… One of my closest friends on the team, Jennifer, is the only other senior this year, so for her it has been a year of stepping up as a leader and a captain… I, on the other hand am just the manager and play a much different role… I work very closely with the coaching staff while trying to remain friends with the girls… Last year we began praying after our matches as soon as they were done shaking hands… We would circle up and someone would pray… I always loved that time, and was glad to see it continue this year… The cool thing about it this year is that the girls asked me to lead it… It is something we do no matter what, win or lose… The fact that they asked me to do it has made that time even more special to me… It is a time where we stop in the midst of the chaos to thank our God for all He has done and will continue to do… I truly love this time and I will remember it always…
I never thought 4 ½ years ago when I took a volleyball scholarship up in Kansas that I would be back in Arkansas after only a semester working with the UofA volleyball team… Now I cannot imagine it any other way… So, as we get ready to wrap up another season, I want to say thank you to everyone who has made this journey so enjoyable and unforgettable…
