Sept. 25, 2002

By John Morris

Three years ago, Hurricane Floyd brought strong devastating winds and torrential rain to the eastern part of North Carolina. Although the deadly storm didn't hit North Carolina with the same ferocity that it hit the Caribbean, Floyd was quite a rain producer. Parts of North Carolina were drenched with 15 inches of rain within a 24-hour period. In Greenville, N.C., 11 inches fell within one day, causing already rising waters to flood the entire community. Many people, especially in the northern part of the county, were without food, water, housing, electricity, and other necessities. At a critical time of need, many citizens came together to help those less fortunate than themselves by offering needed assistance. Abra Geissler was one of these people.

Geissler, a defense specialist/libero for the Charlotte 49ers volleyball team, was a senior at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville when Floyd made its intense presence known.

"It was pure chaos for two and a half weeks," Geissler recalls. "We knew Floyd was going to cause a lot of damage. Everything around Greenville was flooded. The sad thing is that the northern part of the county was the most affected. Lots of people were without supplies."

President Clinton declared North Carolina a disaster area. FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) was sent in to offer assistance to those in need. Geissler and her family took part in relief efforts. Whether it was handing out water or blankets, the Geisslers made sure that everyone was taken care of.

"Everyone wanted to help out. Our whole community really came together. In fact, we had so many people helping out, some volunteers were turned away. It was really something," Geissler said of her community's effort to look after one another.

After an unforgettable experience like this, it's no wonder why Geissler values life more and matured as quickly as she did. Geissler would graduate from J.H. Rose and began to look at schools where she could demonstrate her volleyball talent. She says that it was between Charlotte and NC State. Luckily for Niner fans, she chose green over red.

"I liked the big city," says Geissler, "Plus, coach (Lisa) Marston came here from Davidson during my senior year and that was the deciding factor for me wanting to come to Charlotte."

Geissler originally joined the 49ers as a walk-on but has worked at her game to the point that she now receives a scholarship to play for the 49ers. In addition, Geissler was voted as a team captain by her teammates. Geissler has proven to be a leader on and off the court to not only her teammates, but to her coach as well.

"I find Abra to be very mature. I'm very excited to have her on our team," praises Marston of her junior player. "She listens well and takes constructive criticism well. She's always looking at what she's doing and makes improvements if she needs to. Her teammates respect her as well. They come to her with their problems. Whether it's about school or their boyfriend, Abra is really a great ear. She's such a delight to have on the team,"

Another mark to add to Geissler's impressive resume is that she is majoring in civil engineering and has been recognized for winning a 2001-02 C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal. When asked about this and her major, Geissler modestly replies that the team teases her about making such high marks in the classroom.

"They say 'ask Abra,' she'll know. They call me the 'Thinker.'"

So what's Geissler's outlook on the way that she looks at life?

"I take life in the big perspective and try not to take life so seriously. I try to keep people from not getting too stuck in the moment. My advice to people is to not worry about big things in life because they will all work themselves out in the long run."

It's no wonder with players like Abra Geissler and her "hurricane-like" impact toward life and volleyball that the Niners are proven winners.