Group effort leads volleyball to NCAA tournament

BY KARINA RAJTAR
Editor in Chief

After making the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) tournament last season, the Saint Mary’s University volleyball team was determined to take it a step further this year, said Head Coach Mike Lester.

The team did just that, not only gaining another berth to the MIAC tournament, but also earning a chance to compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Central Region playoffs, held in St. Louis, Mo., for the first time since 2000.

“The conference playoffs last year gave the team a taste of what hard work can do,” Lester said. The NCAA tournament
bid was a great way for “all that hard work and all the hours in the gym” to pay off, Lester said.

“Going to the NCAA tournament was the best way to end this season,” said junior Jessica Mate. “We all worked so hard during the summer and during the season, and we were not ready for the season to end after losing to St. Olaf in the MIAC playoffs.”

Lester credits hard work in the off-season and following through on their goals. This effort to achieve team goals, Lester said, was key. “You can’t just set goals and expect them to happen,” Lester said.Lester recalls hearing about another athlete asking one of the volleyball team members why the team wakes up for 6 a.m. conditioning sessions in the off-season. “It’s what we do,” was the volleyball player’s response. Lester said this attitude, to do what is necessary to get ready for the next season, is what this team is all about.

Another key to the success of this year’s 22-10 season is the full team effort, Lester said. He watched the tape of the team’s final game, a close 3-1 loss to first-seed Washington University in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, Nov. 13, and focused on the reactions of those not playing.

Lester said the members of the team were “so excited for each other” and that the “celebrations on the bench are what our team is about.” The team is already looking forward to the next season. Lester said the team asked to start practicing on the bus home. Lester said the NCAA tournament “fueled that desire to take it to the next step next year.”

“I am so proud of the team,” Mate said. “We left everything on the court against Washington University; we played probably the best match of our season. It was the best way to end an amazing season.”