Six games remain in what has been one of the toughest seasons in Goshen College Men’s Volleyball history. The team is stepping into the final games with a conference record of 1-9. Though it is mathematically possible for the team to still make the conference tournament, Coach Phillips stated that the most important thing is to put together a good run of performances and pick up some wins to end the season.
The team has endured an extremely tough season having only recorded four wins so far. Sophomore right side hitter, Sawyer Frystak, commented on the team’s struggles: “We had some major injury issues, two of our starters were out for at least three to four matches, and that hurt us because we weren’t able to have practices and be as competitive … ”Frystack said that because of how young the team is, they have struggled starting games strong when playing away, and more generally winning close sets. Coach Phillips echoed a similar sentiment, citing injuries and other issues outside of the teams control as large contributing factors to a tough run of results.
While this has undoubtedly been a season with lower points than the team would like, there are certainly some high points that are worth mentioning.
Early on in the season, the Leafs recorded the third reverse sweep win in program history against Olivet Nazarene, quickly the highlight of the season. They followed with a 3-0 conference victory against Mount Vernon, another highlight of the early season.
Frystak made specific note of the games against number three Lawrence Tech and number five Cornerstone, saying that despite those games both ending in three sets, the team competed well.
Phillips has high hopes for the future, “Our young guys have shown growth and improvement throughout the season. That is exciting and does create some perspective about where we are and where we can go overall the next several years.”
It is still possible for the team to make the conference tournament but the main focus for the team is to have consistent performances to end the season. Ben Koop, a sophomore outside hitter from Ontario, Canada, said the team needs to play “calm and collected” and “as efficiently as we can for the remainder of the games.”
Frystak similarly said that “it’s important to take [games] one at a time. Sometimes you get caught up in the scope of the future… and that can distract from the immediate goals.” With these goals in mind, the team has confidence that they can win the remaining games to end the season on a high.
The Leafs will play against Lourdes University on Friday at 7 p.m. and against Sienna Heights on Saturday at 7 p.m.
