St. Olaf volleyball is off to an incredibly hot start. Currently 11-1, the women’s team has swept most of its games and continues to prove its strength as a team. Many of the players attribute this season’s beginning success to exceptionally hard work and the close bond between teammates.
“We’ve worked really hard throughout the season so far, and nothing is going to be easy for us, but as a team, we’re all in,” Laura Butka ’21 said.
The volleyball players arrived to campus two weeks prior to the rest of the student body in order to spend time preparing for the season, and so far, that work is paying off.
“[Pre-season]was intense and competitive,” Lauren Rewers ’20 said. “We all came back from summer ready to go.”
The team has emphasized focus and determination from the beginning of this season.
Under coach Emily Foster, the team has focused on individual strengths, trying to recognize those qualities in each player and capitalize on them on the court.
“This helped us get better at communicating on the court,” Butka said.
This has contributed to how each player feels supported by the rest of the team.
The players attribute much of their recent success to the family they have created on and off the court.
“We genuinely all really love and support each other 100 percent, which is what carries us through tough times and tough games,” Rewers said.
Summer Reid ’21, another hitter on the team, attributed the strong start to the close unity the team possesses.
The team has just recently returned from a weekend tournament at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisc. The team won all four matches played, not giving up a single set all weekend. Reid noted that the team has been focusing on “sustained energy in games,” which is clearly something they relied on during their recent tournament.
Despite coming off of some exciting wins, the team has remained focused, with long-term goals in mind, hoping that they will still be playing in November as the team moves into playoffs.
“We need to be playing our best volleyball all the time, especially come postseason play,” Rewers said, demonstrating the motivation the team has looking towards the rest of their season.
The team has a home game coming up on Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. against MIAC opponent Hamline, a young team specializing in defense and their serve recieve.
The team would appreciate support down at the Skoglund Athletic Center on Faculty Night, as they try to keep up their strength and success for the rest of the season.
