“The overall environment [in America] is everything we could want.”
Those are words spoken by MSU junior Orshi Kriegel, one of the superstars of the Mississippi State volleyball team who’s from Hungary. Orshi, whose full name is Orsolya, and actual nickname is Orsi, has been playing volleyball for MSU for two years now.
Her younger sister Eva, a sophomore, transferred to MSU in the summer of 2005.
This volleyball campaign, which MSU has opened with a 9-2 record, marks the first season the Kriegels have played together in America.
“I’m happy for Orshi this year that
she has her sister Eva around so that they can do things together as a family,” MSU volleyball head coach Tina Seals said. “I’m sure that having Orsi already on campus has made the transition smoother for Eva as well. I love their hard work and attitudes. They are fun to coach and exciting to watch as players.”
Orshi played for Mississippi State last year, a year that saw the Dawgs finish with a 14-16 record. Orshi believes the reunion with her sister has helped to contribute to the team’s 2005 success.
“[Playing is] much easier now,” Orshi said. “I’m very used to working together with Eva. The whole team is much better now that we are together. All of the freshmen are very nice, and the team’s chemistry is very good.”
Seals agrees with Orshi that the team is more productive with the two playing together. They bring a sense of family bonding to the 13-member volleyball team, as well as their athletic abilities.
“The Kriegel sisters have made a great impact on Mississippi State volleyball,” she said. “They bring additional ball control to our team and both are
very powerful and smart as hitters.”
Orshi is a junior interdisciplinary studies major at MSU, which is a little confusing for her.
“I’m not quite sure what [interdisciplinary studies] means,” she said laughing.
Each of the sisters began playing volleyball around age 10, and have played together on several amateur teams in Hungary. They’ve also played against each other a few times, fueling somewhat of a natural sibling rivalry.
“We live in the same dorm room,” said Eva, who is a kinesiology major. “Sometimes it’s hard to live together day by day. It’s not extremely bad, it’s just normal [that we argue sometimes].”
Orshi laughingly added, “We don’t kick each other or anything like that.”
Had it not been for their skills in volleyball, the Kriegel sisters may have never been able to come to America.
The high cost of international travel prevents their parents from coming to visit and prevents the Kriegel sisters from going home at Christmas. They can only travel home once a year, in May, after school is out.
“There are a lot of things different in America than in Hungary,” Orshi said.
“Hungary’s not a rich country, so everything’s different. University campuses in Hungary are different than Mississippi State. They are not as nice. I like American food very much, and the American people are very nice. They are very friendly, always smiling, always whole-hearted.”
America didn’t always get the positive views from the Kriegels as it currently does.
The sisters grew up in an environment that had an aura of envy toward the United States.
“We criticized America [when we grew up in Hungary], but not anymore. We’re here now,” Orshi said. “I think other countries criticize America just because they are a little jealous. The life here is much better than in most other countries.”
Off the volleyball court, the Kriegels kid about not having any free time.
“We play volleyball, study and sleep,” Eva joked. “That’s about all we have
time for.”
Eva loved the social life in Hungary, and notices how greatly it differs from that in America.
“When I was in Hungary, I liked to party,” Eva said. “I considered myself a
party girl. Parties are different here in America, though. I haven’t been to one yet.”
The Kriegels did, however, get a chance to attend Bulldog Bash, on the same night of their tough loss to Florida.
“We went [to Bulldog Bash] for about half an hour. We were at the hip-hop stage, where 112 was [performing]. We like them,” said Eva, whose favorite music generally comes from the ’70s and ’80s. “They are my favorite band now.”
She also enjoys [rap, hip-hop and R&B] because everyone else listens to it, she said.
“The country music was weird to me,” Orshi added. “We don’t have anything like that in Hungary.”
The Kriegel sisters enjoy watching television and movies. “Tommy Lee Goes to College” and “Dawson’s Creek” are among their favorite television shows, and their faovite types of movies are action and comedy.
Eva watched “The Longest Yard” on the Drill Field a few weeks ago, and she said that she enjoyed every minute of it. Other than volleyball, the Kriegels enjoy sports such as basketball and tennis.
American football doesn’t rank among their favorites because they don’t really grasp the concept of the game. Football in America differs from football in Hungary, as Hungarian football is known as soccer here.
Orshi’s favorite part of Mississippi State is the simplicity and beauty of the Drill Field. Eva prefers the state-of-the-art facilities in the Sanderson Center.
Both Kriegel sisters consider volleyball a key part in plans for their futures. Eva wants to play professional volleyball in either America or Hungary, while Orshi wants to go to France.
To sum up the effects that the Kriegels have had on the MSU volleyball team, Orshi said it best.
“Now that this sisterhood between Eva and me is here, the overall sisterhood of the entire team has become stronger,” she said.