For ISU volleyball player Lindsey Chapman, hearing “The Star-Spangled Banner” played before matches has more significance than it may have to other players.

Lindsey’s sister, Jessica Chapman, is currently serving in Iraq with the U.S. Army.

“When the national anthem plays, I think of Jessica,” Lindsey said.

Jessica is a second lieutenant, serving in military intelligence with the 101st Airborne Division. She graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., in 2002.

Lindsey said playing volleyball has been good for her, helping to take her mind off of her sister.

“I also wear a yellow ribbon on one shoe and an American flag on the other,” Lindsey said. “When I get home, I look at the big picture and feel better.”

Lindsey has only spoken to Jessica once since Jessica’s tour of duty began.

“It was all by mail for the first three weeks,” she said at last week’s volleyball media day. “Then we started to communicate by e-mail. She calls home [to Ohio] every two to three weeks.”

Lindsey said she is hoping Jessica will be home by Christmas.

“We had hoped that Jessica would be home in September or October, but now it looks as though it might be February of 2004 at the latest,” she said. “We’re keeping our fingers crossed that it might be earlier than that. It will be a tough time at the holidays.”

Lindsey said at first, she was watching news of the war in Iraq on television all the time, especially in the morning.

“Now I don’t watch quite so much,” she said. “I usually get my news from my dad in Ohio.”

The Chapman family has gone though this before, Lindsey said. Her father, John Chapman, served in Operation Desert Storm, spending six months in Germany as part of the 1st Armored Division.

Lindsey said her sister’s biggest concern is danger from the various attacks her division has sustained.

“Also, the heat is unbearable at times,” she said. “My sister is only 110 pounds, and the temperatures can be as high as 130 degrees. [Soldiers] have to drink a lot of water to keep themselves hydrated.”

Lindsey said Jessica appreciates receiving mail from family and friends, and receiving cards and packages every couple of weeks sustains her morale.

Lindsey said Jessica’s boyfriend came home two weeks ago after serving with the 3rd Infantry Division, and he got a call from Jessica last week.

“[Jessica] said she gets bored at times,” Lindsey said. “There will be days of intense action, then boredom sets in again.”

Jessica’s boyfriend was involved with the killing of Saddam Hussein’s sons, Uday and Qusay, but could not provide any details, Lindsey said.

“Jessica will have a lot of stories to tell when she comes back,” she said.