California isn’t just Hollywood, beaches and In-N-Out Burger. California is a volleyball state, Alabama coach Ed Allen said.
“[In] California, it’s a lifestyle sport,” he said. “People go to the beach, and they play it. It’s like going to Indiana, and every boy in the state of Indiana plays basketball. It doesn’t matter what sport you play, you play basketball as recreation.”
California is also home for three members of the Alabama volleyball team, including Caitlin Bernardin.
“It’s definitely hard at times [being so far from home],” Bernardin said. “But just being here, the girls make it a lot easier, and being around volleyball and just the program makes it a lot easier on me and just being around what I love to do.”
Bernardin said she’s used to adapting. She transferred after a semester at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, Calif., to Bakersfield College in Bakersfield, Calif., and transferred again after signing to play with Alabama in May.
“[She’s] a kid who has her priorities in order,” Allen said. “She knows she’s here to get a degree, she knows she’s here to make the program better, and I think the choices that she makes while she’s off the court reflect the success that she’s been able to have while on the court.”
At Bakersfield in 2012, Bernardin was second in the California junior college rankings, with 4.89 kills per set. She finished the year with 444 total kills in 91 sets. At Alabama, she has filled in on the back row and has 187 digs in 85 sets.
“What drew me here was just the volleyball program, the coaches and the team. It made me really feel like I wasn’t too far away [from] home,” Bernardin said. “I just wanted to keep playing volleyball and get a great education while I’m doing it.”
While still a junior in the College of Human and Environmental Sciences, she said she plans on going into sports management. This desire is manifested out on the court, said her teammates.
“Caitlin’s just, she’s a very positive person,” Krystal Rivers, a freshman middle blocker, said. “She’s always like taking a look at who’s going to be positive on the floor. She’s going to give you a lot of encouragement to keep doing what you’re doing even if you’re having a bad day. That’s just the type of person she is.”
It took a little bit of time for Bernardin to adjust to life at the Capstone. There were a couple of cultural differences between California and the South, she said.
“Probably just how time moves so slow over here, and people are really laid back,” Bernardin said. “Like California seems like a big rush, and your day goes by really fast. Probably just the word ‘y’all.’ [People] say y’all a lot. I had to get used to that.”
