MALTA – Stephanie Gooden admits she’s become more than just a casual coffee drinker during her first season as Kishwaukee College’s head volleyball coach while regularly driving the team bus on five- to nine- hour trips to Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and Michigan.

Those long trips are tough, but they give Gooden a chance to get to know the seven freshmen and four sophomores on her roster, who take turns sitting next to their coach so she doesn’t become droopy-eyed.

“You're getting to hang out with one of your players, and you’re not talking about volleyball, you’re talking about life and learning about them,” Gooden said. “The travel is hard sometimes, but at the same time, you’re building relationships.”