Danielle M Fuchs
Swagger - Article: Swagger
On the missing ingredient to UD's success...Click to see!
The University of Dallas volleyball team traveled to their second Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament (SCAC) this weekend, held by Rhodes College in Memphis, TN. The eight hour bus ride gave plenty of time for team bonding and mental preparation. The team had hours to prepare for their four tough matches, but would they have everything they needed when they hit the court?
The first match against Millsap College ended in a quick three sets (18-25, 25-27, 14-25), bringing UD their first loss of the weekend. The team struggled to string plays together, needing a good pass, good set, and final kill. The second match on Saturday, against Hendrix College brought UD an additional loss in three sets (20-25, 22-25, 23-25). Although this was another lost for the Lady Crusaders, they battled out and improved their ability to play in adverse situations and overcome challenges throughout the game.
After day one in Memphis, the team was feeling low, unable to determine what was missing. Coach Bob Howard’s word of wisdom picked the team up at the end of the day; He reminded them that no matter what, encouragement is key; each player can encourage their teammates by stepping up and making a play or giving a simple “You can do it.”
After the frustrations and struggles of the first day, the team hoped that their coach’s encouraging speech and their delicious Memphis BBQ dinner would pull them out of their funk. An early morning match against Colorado College brought some new fire to the team when they finally discovered what was missing – “some swagger.”
An uplifting, insightful “swagger speech” by an anonymous freshman gave the team the extra boost they needed to compete in these conference matches. It isn’t a matter of being the best, but believing that you are the best passer, serving, setter, or hitter on the court, and walking out on the court like “you own the place.” With a new mindset, the Lady Crusaders competed in their best two matches of the weekend.
Although their match against Colorado College brought the team and additional lost, they played their opponents tough in four sets (22-25, 10-25, 25-18, 10-25). The swagger kept the team upbeat and hopeful for the last match.
With a nice break in between matches, the team headed to mass for their Sunday obligation. The second reading from Philippians preached loudly to many team members, “Never worry about anything; but tell God all your desires of every kind in prayer and petition shot through with gratitude.” Prayers offered throughout mass, lifted up the team, continuing to give hope.
It was time for the last match of the weekend, against Rhode’s College. The lady Crusaders walked onto the court, many feeling spiritually revived and all girls with a new sense of “swagger.” The team was ready to compete, and they did, no doubt. The team battled it out, winning two straight sets against the Lady Lynx. However, two sets have never won a match. Continuing the fight into the third set, the team fell hard for two-thirds of the match, yet never gave up. The girls played hard even when their energy was low. As the scores grew farther apart, so the team “dug deep,” finding the energy and “swagger” they needed. Dallas fell in the third and fourth set. However, they had the game’s momentum, energy, and swagger (and Jesus) on their side.
In the fifth game, UD battled point for point with Rhodes College and broke out with a lead and strung together many good plays. Then, the Crusaders struggled to make plays due to some difficult serve receive balls. Neck and neck, the team fought hard with determination to pull out a win. After an exciting battle, UD won their last match of the weekend winning the last game 15-13 (Set scores: 25-21, 25-20, 18-25, 23-25, 15-13).
UD fought through several road blocks this weekend. Although the team went 3-1 in their matches at Rhodes College, they found great success in overcoming their losing streak and finding their missing link. Who ever knew a little “swagger” would be a key ingredient to finding success?
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