Steven Kehoe

If he ever has the time, we want him to set for our team.

In his senior year (2011) with Ohio State University, Steven led his team to win the 2011 NCAA Crown. He was also named as the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Championship plus some other prestigious awards like Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week for his play in the NCAA championship, MIVA Tournament Most Outstanding Player, AVCA First team All-American & MIVA Player of the Year just to name a few. After a successful collegiate career, he turned pro in the same year and inked a deal with Finnish club team, Tampereen Isku-Volley.

We’re so lucky that the 6’3 setter has granted us the chance to discover his FIRST MOMENTS in Finland.

My first delicacy or specialty of Finland was mustamakkara, which is a black blood sausage that you eat with a sweet lingonberry jam. It was surprisingly good considering how it looks! Also, I’ve had plenty of reindeer meat since Ive been here, which is pretty simple but tasty nonetheless.

Since our schedule is super busy and we play more matches this year, the first place i got to visit outside of my city was Turku, for Thanksgiving. I got to hang out with Dustin Watten, Garrett Maugatatia, and Duncan Budinger, which was pretty awesome. Watching NFL and eating pumpkin pie doesn’t get old, no matter where you are in the world.

The first match I played was actually against Fakel, a Russian superleague team, and we played them in the first or second week of August. It was a big wake-up call to playing with the big boys. Seriously, they were monsters. Anyways we ended up playing four sets and my team took one of them, so it was a small victory.

My first night in Finland was a bit lonely, and to be honest it still is sometimes. However I’m constantly excited about volleyball and when I first got here I think I was just so focused on getting better and playing well, that it almost felt like I was on a road trip to play…. A very long and extended stay road trip, that is.

First impression of Finland: beautiful and friendly. Finland gets a bad rep for being so cold and dark in the winter. While these things are very true, the flip side is that it is a great place to be in the summer months because it’s light out all the time and its actually warm!

First word I learned in Finnish: Kiitos?… then Kiitos! Yes, said with enthusiasm, as we were just getting a meal after landing in Helsinki, and I was saying “Thank you.”

That leads me to the next first, which is the first people I met in Finland. I was greeted by Marko, Patse, and Nisse in Helsinki (Asst Coach, Manager, Agent). I’m pretty glad they were there; I was feeling lost.

The first person who visited me was my girlfriend Alison. We had a great time and it was so refreshing to have a familiar face and make my place in Finland feel more like home. She’s too good to me and I miss her now.

My first weekend here in Tampere was spent by just walking around town. I got lucky and the city I play in is pretty big, which means lots to see.

The first thing I wanted to do when I got to Finland: sleep. In all honesty, traveling makes you tired and I slept quite a bit. Other than that, I didn’t have any agenda besides training. I think since it was my first year abroad that I was, and still am, out to prove myself. This made training the number one priority.

Finally, the one thing I want to do before I leave Finland is see a live reindeer in the wild when we go to Rovaniemi. On this trip I’d also like to see Santa (yes kids, this is where he lives)!

Overall, I feel God has blessed me in allowing me to pursue a career playing volleyball and I’m grateful for the opportunity to play here in Finland this year.

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Steven! You’re such a great player and according to the text the volleyball gods sent to us you have a BRIGHT FUTURE ahead of you. Just like your sister Bryn, great things await for great people like you.

Thank you for sharing and have fun in Finland!

If you even see Santa or even one of his reindeers, CALL US BB!

Hahah!

(images: iskuvolley.com)