The Chicago volleyball squad is looking to bounce back and make a name for themselves.
This past weekend the Maroons (19–5) went (2–2) at the UAA Round Robin #2, winning over NYU and Case Western Reserve, but falling short to Carnegie Mellon and conference rival Wash U. The squad came out strong for their final match against the Wash U Bears, winning the first set 25–23. However, the Maroons were unable to retaliate when the Bears responded with three straight wins to take the match.
The Maroons are not hanging their heads. In fact, they are using the experience as incentive to improve looking forward to the Aurora Invite this upcoming weekend.
“We were a little disappointed with the outcome last weekend, but now we’re using it as motivation for this weekend and next weekend’s UAA Championships,” said second-year libero Anne Marie Stifter. “We know what we need to improve on in order to get back to our style of play.”
The South-Siders definitely have a big weekend ahead of them, as they will take on the University of Dubuque (26–2) at 6 p.m. and Aurora University (21–6) at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 27, and Concordia University Chicago (18–11) and North Park University (13–12) on Saturday, October 28. In preparation for this weekend’s games, the Maroons are focusing on themselves, rather than their opponents.
“Preparing for this weekend has really been about going back to basics. We’ve always done all the little things well, so we need to return to that”, Stifter said. “We really want to focus on ourselves as a team and not worry about who we are playing because we know that if we play to our potential, we can beat anyone.”
Second-year middle hitter, Madison Pearson echoes her teammate’s sentiments. “We are focusing on what we need to do as a team: mostly strong serving and passing. As long as we play our game, we have a great chance against anybody across the net from us.”
Friday’s matches will likely be nail-biters. With University of Dubuque also coming into the match off of a loss, both teams will be looking to redeem themselves. And with their impressive 21–6 record, 5–0 at home, and two game winning streak, Aurora University will likely be a challenge for the Maroons as well. Regardless, the squad is excited for what’s to come.
“This weekend is an incredible opportunity for us to play fantastic regional teams and to continue pressing on toward our UAA tournament next weekend,” Pearson said. “All of us want to work hard and play for each other, and for that reason I can’t wait to see what we achieve the rest of the season.”
