Thursday, November 18, 2010

Volleyball finishes strong, third-best season in SMU history

By Nick Bravos
Cardinal Staff

With the third best season in Saint Mary’s University history, the 2010 SMU women’s volleyball team achieved a 21-10 overall record and 7-4 in conference play.

Coach Lester is proud of the hard work and effort this year’s team has put forth. “This team accomplished some amazing things, and they deserve to be congratulated for their success,” said Lester.

Although the 2010 team did not receive a bid to the NCAA national tournament, Lester mentioned that this disappointment does not take away from the success of the season.

During the preseason in August, the volleyball team began their preparations with eight-hour long practices. “The team’s hard work and dedication is second to none,” Lester said.

Senior captain Lindsey Legatt added that this year’s roster was a tight-knit squad that continued to push each other to better the team. Legatt commended the team’s work ethic. “I don't think there was ever a practice or game we attended where we didn't put effort out on the court,” said Legatt.

For Legatt, her most surprising moment was during a tournament in Chicago, where the Cardinals competed against top teams in the nation, including two teams ranked in the top 10.

“It was very cool for us to realize we can play at a very high level, and we do deserve to take pride in the success of our team,” said Legatt.
Senior captain Brittany Cherwinka gives credit to the work that everyone put in during the off-season. “We dedicate ourselves to our workouts, so when we step on that floor as a team we are giving it our best,” said Cherwinka.

Cherwinka defined the team as a family and expressed her gratitude to be a part of it. “My favorite thing about this team is that no one is selfish, and we all put in the work so we can get the job done together,” Cherwinka said.

Cherwinka’s most surprising moment was the home playoff game: “It was amazing to have all of those fans! Absolutely amazing atmosphere; playing under a packed house couldn’t get any better!”

After the 2010 season, the squad will lose seven seniors. Legatt added that the main objective to work on for next year is consistency. “We talked about all season. We know we can play at a high level, so we have to focus on keeping our level of play up.”

The Cardinal volleyball squad appreciated the dedication the fans had throughout their season.

“Thank you again to the great fans, specifically the cross country and men's basketball teams, for your support this season,” said Lester. “You have helped to create an energy not only around volleyball but around athletics at [SMU] in general.”

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