The Goshen College women’s volleyball team hosted the homecoming tri-match at the Ruth Gunden Gymnasium on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Maple Leafs welcomed the University of Michigan Dearborn Wolverines and the Calumet College of St. Joseph Crimson Wave. 

The Leafs took the court first at 12 p.m. to take on the Wolverines. After falling a set behind, Goshen won three sets back-to-back to win 3-1. The Wolverines and the Crimson Wave faced off at 2 p.m., with the Wolverines losing the first set, before rallying back and winning three in a row to also win 3-1. The final match of the day saw the Leafs face off against the Crimson Wave. Similar to the first two games, the Crimson Wave took set one, before Goshen took the victory in four sets. Goshen’s record is now 3-19 this season.

First-year Railynn Bowman led the Leafs in kills in both games, recording back-to-back career highs with 12 and 16. Junior Jessie Price achieved a career high in aces with five against the Wolverines and sophomore Carmin Corey had a career high of  15 digs. Bri Morris had a career high in assists in the same match, with 41. In the Calumet game, Ava Schneider had seven total blocks, also a career high.

Jeff Phillips, head women’s volleyball coach, saw the tri-match as a highlight for their season. “Getting two wins on Homecoming Weekend -— that’s definitely a positive for our season,” Phillips said. “In the conference that we play in, wins do not come easy, so it’s nice to find a couple of wins to give us a little bit of confidence going into the second half of the conference.”

As mentioned, the Leafs lost the first set of both of their games. “Effectively, it’s an Achilles’ heel, and has been for a number of years and it comes from a lot of different things,” Phillips explained. “We’re trying to make sure that we’re ready to go but definitely those first set struggles are not new.”

During the tournament, the Leafs started three first-year players, Bowman, Schneider and Morris. Bowman is currently  second in kills this season behind Corey. Morris leads the team in assists. 

Bowman believes she has now fully adapted to the pace of collegiate volleyball. “I have to think more strategically about where I place the ball and try and hit around the big blockers because everyone’s a lot taller now,” she said. “It took me a couple of weeks, but preseason was definitely useful.”

On Monday, Morris was announced as the Everence Student-Athlete of the Week. Her 41 assists means she leads the Leafs this season with 254, just ahead of senior Carle Bruggema with 219.

“I was a little surprised,” Morris said. “I figured they wouldn’t give it to many freshmen, but I was very excited.”

Bowman welcomed the opportunity to play alongside Morris, to strengthen their bond for future games and seasons. “I had Carle and Sydney [Stutsman] as my setters before, so it was definitely nice to have a freshman setter so I could get that connection stronger,” she said. “She was asking me where I needed the ball at and she was good at accepting the feedback.”

Morris believes that she has already established a strong relationship with the other first-years. “I think we all came in with the same ideas and what we wanted,” she said. “We’re all able to talk to each other on a deeper level to figure out what sets are best for everyone.”

During the Calumet game, Sami Lard transitioned to libero due to an injury to Mary Osten. Lard led the Leafs in serve-receive statistics last year, so the change made sense for Phillips. Lard also has experience at libero — she was injured during her senior year of high school, so to still get time on the court, she spent time in the position. 

“I don’t think it was too bad. In the beginning, I was a little nervous making sure I was in the right spot,” she said. “Then it came to be more natural as it progressed.”

“She played really well defensively. She  knows where she’s supposed to be and she knows the system,” Phillips said of Lard. “She’s been here for few years now, so she wasn’t going to be uncomfortable in terms of knowing what she should be able to do.”

Schneider used the tri-match to experiment with new sets and plays. “Running behind the setter worked a lot,” Schneider said. “I was also able to work on tracking and being able to block better. My blocking speed improved I think.”

The overall sentiment is that the future is bright for the Leafs. Looking ahead to the second half of conference play, Phillips wants his players to make the improvements for when “they see those same teams again, knowing that it’s faster.”

“I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and especially next season because I think all of the things we have been working on will start to show,” Schneider said. 

Bowman appreciates the connection she has already built with her teammates. “I definitely feel we have all grown and have a good bond going on, and I feel like that’s definitely going to be good for the future of the program,” she said.

“Most of us are already starting and I think it shows where we could go in the future if we keep working hard like we are,” Morris said.