May 10, 2010

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - After a doubleheader split with Campbell over the weekend, the USC Upstate softball team will travel to DeLand, Fla. to participate in the Atlantic Sun Softball Championship in the program's first year of eligibility.

Monica Hall is one of three seniors that will look to extend their playing careers beginning on Thursday morning at 9:00 a.m., as the fourth-seeded Spartans square off against the third-seeded Owls of Kennesaw State.

Hall has appeared in all 50 games for Upstate this season, while making 48 starts. The Ceres, Calif., native has collected 41 hits in 2010, with 12 doubles and two home runs. Hall has 21 RBI and nine runs scored this season.

Hall recently talked with Alex Edwards of upstatespartans.com to discuss the upcoming A-Sun Tournament as well as plans for the future.

Upstate earned a spot in the conference tournament in the first season of eligibility and earned the number four seed and will face Kennesaw State on Thursday morning. What are the team's goals and expectations for the tournament?
Naturally, our ultimate goal is to win the conference tournament and advance to the NCAA regionals. As long as we play to our ability we have a great chance to win. We have an amazing team this year and when things are clicking we are a force to be reckoned with. We have to focus on one game at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.

The team won 38 games during the regular season, the most since the move to D-I. What has made the team so successful this season?
Our team is very talented this season. I think that everyone works well together both on and off the field.

What was going through your mind as you stepped on the field for your final home games last Thursday against Appalachian State?
Honestly, it was just another game for me and I did not look at it any differently. I knew without a doubt that last week would not be my last handful of games because I had confidence in my team that we would make it to the conference tournament.

What is something that people may not know about assistant coaches Ciria Ochoa and Bryan Pack?
Coach O serves as my mother here, while my real one is back home in California rooting me on. Coach Pack definitely has a funny accent and everyone on the team loves to make fun of him because of that. I am not used to hearing all of this southern talk, but his by far is the best.

What has been your most memorable moment during your time here at Upstate?
For me it is making it into the conference tournament. It is one step towards a goal I have had since I was a little girl, while watching the College World Series on TV. I always told myself I would be on there someday. So making the conference tournament is just one small step towards that long-time goal. Of course it would have never been possible without the hard work and dedication from my team as a whole!

What are your plans once your softball career at Upstate is over?
When my playing career is over, I am going to move back home to California. Eventually I plan to attend University of California-Davis and complete the Physician Assistant program.

What advice would you give to a younger athlete who desired to play collegiately?
First and foremost, grades are very important. You have to make sure you keep up with your schoolwork and make good grades so that you will be eligible to play. Being a student-athlete with good grades is very impressive. Also, playing collegiately takes a lot of hard work and dedication, so you have to be ready to give it all you've got!

If you could travel to any place in the world, where would you want to go and why?
I would go to Italy, because I have tons of family there that I would love to meet. Just about every person in my family here has been, so I think it's my turn.

Who was/were your hero(es) growing up?
Everyone in my family of course, without them I would not be where I am today. Also, I looked up to anyone who was playing softball at a higher level than me, as I hoped that someday I would be able to compete just like them.

If your teammates were to use one adjective to describe you, what do you think they would chose and why?
They probably would choose hilarious. I love to laugh and I also love to make other people laugh.