Coming to play college softball in the U.S. was just as intriguing as it was challenging for the trio of Australian players who make up part of the No. 10-ranked Galveston College Whitecaps.
Australian softball players Tallulah Civoniceva, Amaya Foxover and Sophie Lawrence joined the Whitecaps this season and, with the help of GC Head Softball Coach Kelly Raines and their teammates, they have seamlessly adapted to the lifestyle and level of play at a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I college.
鈥淭allulah and Amaya came on board at the beginning of the fall semester and Sophie joined us this spring from Lake Land College,鈥� said Raines. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e a great group of talented student-athletes with an amazing work ethic and we鈥檙e excited to have them as part of the team.鈥�
The trio played club softball together and against each other in Australia. And although they didn鈥檛 land in Galveston together, they have been tight-knit since youth ball.
Lawrence is one of the newest Whitecaps, having played her freshman season at Lake Land College in Illinois. She reached out to Civoniceva and Foxover during the off-season and the two international Whitecaps brought Lawrence to Raines鈥� attention, who saw the sophomore catcher鈥檚 potential and invited her to GC.
鈥淚鈥檝e only been here three months. I know them (Civoniceva and Foxover) from home, which is good,鈥� said Lawrence. 鈥淎ll the girls were welcoming and there was lots of love straight away. It made my transition easier from my last college to here.鈥�
Now settled into their routine as GC student-athletes, the inseparable trio works hard to excel in the classroom and on the playing field.
鈥淭hey have a great work ethic,鈥� said Raines. 鈥淥ur other players see how hard they work and have joined alongside them.鈥�
One of the welcoming challenges the trio overcame is the frequency and intensity of college softball games in the U.S., especially at the NJCAA Division I level.
In Australia, sports are typically not played in high school as they are in the U.S. For softball, players participate on club teams and play once or twice a week and practice the same amount of time. However, Australian players compete against the best players in their age categories, which include Olympians.
Before coming to GC, the three Whitecaps played for the Colts, a club team in Redcliffe, Australia. Foxover and Lawrence also played together for club side Panthers in Brisbane.
鈥淭he transition has been pretty good. We only play about once a week there, but here we play and train so often, which is the big difference,鈥� said Civoniceva, who has five home runs and 25 RBIs with a .320 batting average. 鈥淚 love the routine, waking up, going to class, then the gym and practice. It doesn鈥檛 seem like we have a lot of time left over to hang out and relax, but we do.鈥�
Lawrence agreed they had a smooth transition to the college and have adapted to the intense style of play in the U.S.
鈥淚t鈥檚 completely different. Here, we practice almost every day and play four games a week,鈥� said Lawrence. 鈥淭he intensity is different. In Australia, it鈥檚 not that big of a deal until you get to state or national level games, then it鈥檚 really serious. But here it鈥檚 intense, we need to win every single week.鈥�
That intensity, coupled with the chemistry Raines鈥� team has formulated on and off the field this season, has led the Whitecaps to a 28-6 overall record, an 8-2 mark in the NJCAA Region 14 South Zone Division and a top 10 ranking.
鈥淲e all get along really well and everyone has the same goal in mind, they want to do well,鈥� said Foxover, who has a .280 batting average. 鈥淓veryone backs each other up on and off the field. That鈥檚 really important. How the team gets along does affect how they play. Having trust in one another is really important.鈥�
鈥淚t feels really good to be ranked,鈥� added Civoniceva. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 act like a ranked team. We鈥檙e not cocky about it. Everyone just does their job and that鈥檚 what happens when everyone does their job, you get the results that we get. It鈥檚 really cool and I鈥檓 really happy with that.鈥�
Civoniceva, Foxover, Lawrence and the Whitecaps will be back in action April 12 when GC hosts Lamar State College-Port Arthur in a pair of conference games at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Lassie League Complex.
For more information about the 麻豆色情片 Whitecaps softball program, rosters and season schedule, visit .
ABOUT 麻豆色情片
麻豆色情片 was founded in 1967 and is a comprehensive community college providing the residents of Galveston Island and the surrounding region with academic, workforce development, continuing education and community service programs.