Coming off a successful pre-season tournament run, it looked like the Valparaiso University Volleyball team would contend for a top two seed in the conference. When the final standings were revealed, the Crusaders had locked up a three seed and would play the University of Illinois at Chicago in the opening round. I sat down with Lexie Bouza and Rachel Bruinsma to get their take on how the season went and what could be improved.
The first thing I asked was how it felt being a three seed when the team thought they could win the regular season and host the conference tournament. "I thought it was possible to get higher, but once the season started winding down, the seeding was pretty much set," sophomore right side/defensive specialist Lexie said. Outside hitter Rachel said that getting the third seed was good.
The biggest problem was the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee Panthers. In the three meetings, the Panthers walked away victorious every time. "We really need to work on the mental game in the offseason," Lexie said. "There are a lot of little things that need to be worked on and improved in the offseason," Rachel told me.
When asked about what it was like to not win the regular season after a succesful preseason start, Lexie told me that anyone could win the season. Rachel said that there wasn't much change over the course of the season.
The biggest letdown had to be not winning conference. Since joining the Horizon League, the Crusaders have never made the NCAA Volleyball Tournament. Lexie said that it sucked, but that they will work hard in the offseason. Rachel said that it was a good season overall.
Losing the seniors is always hard. But one player that will be missed is senior Right Side Morgan Beil. "There are a lot of good freshmen coming in, so I think it won't be that big of a loss," Lexie said. "We have a good group of freshmen coming, so it shouldn't be hard to replace her," Rachel told me.
Will the team finally end the drought and advance to the NCAA Volleyball tournament? The answer remains to be seen.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Monday, November 3, 2014
Gamma Phive K a success
Oct.17-19 was family weekend. This is usually a time for parents to come to Valparaiso and get a glimpse at college life. However with the Gamma Phi Beta Crescent Classic going on, many chose to participate in that.
Current president Shayna Anglin said the event has been going on for at least the last three or four years.
The annual Gamma Phive K is held every fall at Valparaiso. The event raises money for Girls on the Run. The organization works to build confidence in girls from 8-13 years old. The culmination is a celebratory 5 kilometer run. Despite the cold and rain, nothing was going to deter at least one hundred people from showing up according to safety and wellness officer Kieley Harrington. The total amount raised was between $800-$900.
"The purpose of Girls on the Run is to build confidence in young girls and help them to realize they can do anything they put their mind to," current member Jenn Reed said. "The day begins with a lesson. The lesson each day is different." Some lessons focus on how to deal with bullying while other lessons focus on gossip, and other lessons focus on healthy ways to confront people.
"We use the model 'When you...I feel...I would like you to...'" she said.
The girls then run and practice the skills they learned with activities while running. At the end, they all come back together and share their experiences or when they had to deal with a situation on the nature of the lesson.
"It basically gives them a place to learn important life skills that are often forgotten or things that parents and teachers sometimes overlook," Reed said. "It helps to give them the confidence they need to be successful in any situation."
With the 5k, every chapter does some form of it, according to safety and wellness officer Kieley Harrington. Events range from color runs to traditional 5k runs.
It wasn't just those in Greek Life that put teams together. Brothers Reaching Out and the Social Action Leadership Team (SALT) also participated.
"Gamma Phi Beta really helped us out last year with our color run," current senior and SALT chair Caleb Rollins said. "Now it was our turn to help them."
Current president Shayna Anglin said the event has been going on for at least the last three or four years.
The annual Gamma Phive K is held every fall at Valparaiso. The event raises money for Girls on the Run. The organization works to build confidence in girls from 8-13 years old. The culmination is a celebratory 5 kilometer run. Despite the cold and rain, nothing was going to deter at least one hundred people from showing up according to safety and wellness officer Kieley Harrington. The total amount raised was between $800-$900.
"The purpose of Girls on the Run is to build confidence in young girls and help them to realize they can do anything they put their mind to," current member Jenn Reed said. "The day begins with a lesson. The lesson each day is different." Some lessons focus on how to deal with bullying while other lessons focus on gossip, and other lessons focus on healthy ways to confront people.
"We use the model 'When you...I feel...I would like you to...'" she said.
The girls then run and practice the skills they learned with activities while running. At the end, they all come back together and share their experiences or when they had to deal with a situation on the nature of the lesson.
"It basically gives them a place to learn important life skills that are often forgotten or things that parents and teachers sometimes overlook," Reed said. "It helps to give them the confidence they need to be successful in any situation."
With the 5k, every chapter does some form of it, according to safety and wellness officer Kieley Harrington. Events range from color runs to traditional 5k runs.
It wasn't just those in Greek Life that put teams together. Brothers Reaching Out and the Social Action Leadership Team (SALT) also participated.
"Gamma Phi Beta really helped us out last year with our color run," current senior and SALT chair Caleb Rollins said. "Now it was our turn to help them."
Monday, October 20, 2014
Friendship Blossoms for Sophomore Volleyball Players
When it comes to sports, friendships are important. None is more inseparable than that of Emily and Lexie.
"We've only known each other for two years," Emily said. "Those two years have been the best two years so far," Lexie added. A common bond turned them into friends.
"We have both been playing since high school," they said.
"Besides athletics, the small campus size and academics made me want to come here," Emily said.
"It was disappointing when the winning streak ended," they told me. "We knew we were not going to let it get to us."
"Knowing the team is known for winning at least 20 games each season is definitely motivation," they said.
"The preseason tournaments definitely showed us what needed improvement," they said.
When asked if they could win the regular season and host the conference tournament, both said it was definitely possible. "We need to think big and think about winning the tournament," they said.
Whether either happens is yet to be seen.
At this rate, it certainly is a possibility the team could get a berth in the NCAA tournament.
"We've only known each other for two years," Emily said. "Those two years have been the best two years so far," Lexie added. A common bond turned them into friends.
"We have both been playing since high school," they said.
"Besides athletics, the small campus size and academics made me want to come here," Emily said.
"It was disappointing when the winning streak ended," they told me. "We knew we were not going to let it get to us."
"Knowing the team is known for winning at least 20 games each season is definitely motivation," they said.
"The preseason tournaments definitely showed us what needed improvement," they said.
When asked if they could win the regular season and host the conference tournament, both said it was definitely possible. "We need to think big and think about winning the tournament," they said.
Whether either happens is yet to be seen.
At this rate, it certainly is a possibility the team could get a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Women Still looking for Home Win
Playing in their Horizon League opener against Youngstown State, the women's basketball team was still searching for their first win at home. With high expectations, the girls are not going to give up. I caught up with Jessi Wiedemann and Jessica Carr after the game to get their reaction.
Jessi's mindset was to improve from the preseason since it was their first conference game. Jessica's mindset was very focused and she felt confident in the team. Unable to gain any lead, the Crusaders were down by six going into halftime. When asked if they could have won the game, both players felt confident.
"We were confident coming out for the second half. Both sides came out strong," Jessi said.
"At halftime, we definitely thought we could pull off a win since we hadn't played to our best potential," Jessica said.
Despite having only two wins so far, both players felt the team could turn things around and contend for a first-round match at home. When asked about this, Jessi said that she hoped the team could since they were changing things up. Jessica said that they were shooting for at least ten wins and the great thing about the conference is the tournament is fair game.
Playing time definitely took its toll as the team was down to only nine healthy players. I asked Jessi and Jessica about this and how it affected their playing time. "Liz, Lexi, and Aliyah are about to come back, so that will make things easier," Jessi told me.
Jessica agreed to an extent. "Having only nine healthy players greatly affects playing time. Everyone has to step up and play a lot. This is good since we gain experience and play through our mistakes.
However, it also demands that everyone be healthy. Having fewer of us makes it easier to be on the same page, but it would be nice to have everyone back healthy."
One of the biggest questions is whether the team can contend for a .500 season. This was a tough question to ask since the team was obviously struggling. Jessi told me that since they've already played about half of their games, it was likely impossible but definitely achievable. Jessica told me that they can contend if they turn things around right now. She thought that by the time the conference tournament rolls around, everyone will have pulled together and would be playing at their very best.
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