This Tuesday, the Maroons thrashed Wheaton in the final home game of the 2015 season. Not only was it a great win for the Maroons, but it also came on Senior Night, which honored standouts Ragine Graves, Maren Loe, and Jasmine Mobley for four amazing years with the team.
The team made it their goal to play a flawless game to truly thank the three fourth-years for all of their hard work, dedication, and leadership throughout this season. And they certainly did not disappoint.
“The game was very bittersweet—it’s so sad to have played our last game with our three amazing fourth-years,” said first-year Sydney Majors. This shows the type of respect the team has for their fourth-years as well as the overall bond the squad has developed this season.
Although the team got off to a slow start in the first set, Chicago came back to win all three sets 25–23, 25–20, and 25–18 respectively. First-year Audrey Scrafford had an impressive performance with 17 kills and 5 blocks from the outside hitter position and fourth-year Graves had an astounding 37 assists and 11 digs from the setter position.
The South Siders picked up the energy after this slow start and never looked back. At times, Wheaton battled back to intensify the sets, but the Maroons thwarted their attempts each time.
Third-year Amy Risk said, “The Wheaton game was an important step forward for us given the poor weekend we recently had,” proving the importance of a solid win like this after a recent struggle against both Case Western Reserve and Carnegie Mellon on Saturday and No. 3 ranked Emory on Sunday.
The squad also looks forward to taking this burst of energy to both of their games this weekend in a double-header against No. 19 UW–Oshkosh and unranked Milikin. A win, especially against Oshkosh, would certainly pad the Maroons already impressive season and could fuel the fire for the games to come.
With only seven more attempts to make their mark in the University Athletic Association (UAA) as well as set themselves up with a promising rank in the Division III playoffs, Chicago must perform at a top level, with continued high energy throughout each game. Another sluggish start could prove fatal for the South Siders, but team morale is high. The Maroons also know what they are truly capable of if they come out of the gate strong.
The rest of the season looks promising, but the squad is looking to focus on one game at a time to ensure their success. The action starts this Saturday October 24 at 1 PM, followed by a second game at 3 PM.
