College can be a difficult time for many incoming students, as many are away from home for the first time. Coming all the way from Berlin, Germany, freshman Edina Schmidt has taken the process in stride thanks to a great group of teammates and coaches.

“All of my teammates did a really good job supporting me,” Schmidt said. “Bringing me around in their cars and helping me get familiar with the campus.”

Schmidt’s experience with volleyball goes back to an early age, with the freshman having played the game since she was seven years old. A big reason for this was her mom, who was a professional player for the German national team.

Despite her mother’s success in the sport, Schmidt said her mom has not been overbearing in her journey with volleyball.

“It was always my decision to play volleyball,” Schmidt said. “And she always supported me.”

With her family so invested in it, volleyball is the only sport Schmidt has ever competitively played, but she still enjoys it.

In Germany, Schmidt racked up all kinds of awards with her team, including winning the German National Championship twice with her club team VCO Berlin. She has also played on the German junior national team, earning MVP honors twice her last season.

Schmidt wanted to play in the Big Ten for its storied success and numerous top-ranked programs, which was a major reason Iowa came up onto her radar when looking for schools. When she visited Iowa City, she knew immediately this was the campus for her.

“I really wanted to play in the Big Ten, because it has a really great reputation,” she said. “I looked around and looked some universities up before I came to my official visit in April, and the campus, university, and people were so nice.”

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Fast forward to now over midway into her first season as a Hawkeye, and Schmidt is happy with her impact within the program so far.

“I was unsure what my role was going to be as a freshman, but I wanted to get some playing time, get into the team, and help us as best as possible,” she said.

Although Schmidt has not been a consistent starter for the team, she has delivered when asked to step up. Her biggest game so far was against Minnesota, where she delivered with 14 kills and four digs. Schmidt also contributed in a big way against Northwestern, where she tallied 12 kills and eight digs in the team’s first conference win of the season.

Iowa City has been an adjustment from Berlin, and although she misses her family, it has not taken away from Schmidt’s experience.

“I am not too homesick,” she said. “I miss my family, but I FaceTime them a lot.”

Although her family will not be able to fly into town for a match this season, Schmidt will get the chance to go back home over winter break. Her parents are also excited to see her play in the future and will be down to Iowa City next season for a game.