The Goshen College women’s volleyball team concluded their season on Nov. 4, as they fell 3-1 to the Saint Francis University Cougars. The Maple Leafs finished their year with a record of 3-29 overall, with an 0-18 record in the Crossroads League.

The Leafs found their first victory during pre-season, when they traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the Blue Angel Bash at Mount Mary University, where they defeated the hosts in three sets. 

They then lost 15 games in a row. They broke this streak on Homecoming weekend at the Homecoming Tri-Match, when they defeated both University of Michigan Dearborn and Calumet College of St. Joseph, both in four sets. 

In their final games of the season, Goshen took a set off four of their five opponents, including nationally ranked opposition in Grace College at home. 

Despite struggling to pick up wins, head coach Jeff Phillips saw many positives from the season. He said, “Integrating seven new players, all of which saw time on the court this season was challenging and exciting.” 

One of these new players is sophomore Mary Osten, who transferred to Goshen from Rio Grande University in Ohio. Osten stepped in at libero after an injury to senior Alaina Wolfe during pre-season. 

“Mary was a massive bright spot as a new player coming in from a successful program,” Phillips said. “We did not plan for her in that role this season, but she embraced it and excelled and played at a really high level.”

“I think my coaches and my teammates made it really easy for me to be able to play and get better and get experience playing a full-time libero the whole season,” Osten said.

Another player who became a leader for the team was sophomore pin hitter, Carmin Corey, who led the team with 278 kills this season. 

Corey believes that she has become a leader, not only in statistics but also on the floor. “I’ve always struggled with being loud enough, but one thing that I’ve been big on this year is just being a vocal leader,” Corey said. 

“Carmin works very hard to push herself to be the best she can be,” Phillips said. “Late in the season, some things that she has been working on really clicked in some matches where she was able to play at a level that we believe she can reach more often.”

Corey is grateful for the opportunity to step into a leadership role on the team. “It does mean a lot,” she said. 

“I think that at some points they trust me more than I trust myself. So just knowing in the hard times when I feel like this whole season is difficult and I feel like nothing’s changing and I’m not getting better, the fact that they believe in me, even to the extent that they do this year, is enough encouragement in and of itself.”

Alongside Wolfe’s injury, the Leafs also had more players sidelined throughout the season. This presented an opportunity for the freshmen players to get time on the court. All five first years got time on the court during conference play.

Corey and Osten both highlighted pin hitter Railynn Bowman’s contribution to the team. 

“She changed position a little bit,” Corey said. “We switched me, her and Sami [Lard] around with the outside and right side a little bit, trying to find our footing … but not once did [Bowman] back down from that challenge.”

“Just from the beginning, she was just playing really well. I think she’s had a couple games where she’s gotten 16 kills which is really good as a freshman, especially in this Crossroads League.”

Phillips commended the freshmen’s contribution to the team. “It’s always a double edge sword when you have to play as many freshmen as we had to play this season. They were able to get a taste of what it looks like in the Crossroads League and the impact that will have both for them and for our team is hopefully one that will drive them into the spring with a focus on building on the things that they are good at, and working on the things that will help them take us to another level,” he said.

Currently, all six starters are set to return for the 2027 season. Phillips is excited by the young core. “I think we told them over the course of the season that we are seeing flashes of what they can be.  It’s just about making those flashes into a more consistent level of play,” he said. 

“I think it’s always interesting whenever you basically have your whole starting lineup come back at once, because nothing’s changed and you’ve had a whole year to progress. So I think that, again, it completely depends on how much people invest in the spring and the summer. But knowing these girls, knowing my teammates, I think that they’re going to invest plenty,” said Corey.