In a tough conference match-up against University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh last Thursday, the Marquette Men’s Club Volleyball team fought hard but came up short, winning one game, 25-23, out of four. UWO clinched victory in the first game 15-25 and finished the match with two wins, 17-25 and 15-25, respectively. Fan turnout was significant for the team’s game against UWO, with around 60 people in attendance.
“UWO has grown to be our biggest rival the past few years, so every time we play each other, both teams know it is going to be a slugfest. This one was no exception. We came out a bit flat in the first game and didn’t match their intensity, but then found our step in the second and third game,” said team libero Aaron Brown. “We were disappointed in the outcome, but also took it as a learning experience as we move forward this year as a team. The fan support was great, too. It always helps us when we have a big crowd on hand to support us.”
The Marquette men’s volleyball team is now 2-2 and is looking ahead and working to improve on energy and consistency as the National Championships in Kansas City approach on April 9-11.
“At the end of last semester we sat down as a team and came up with a list of goals we would like to accomplish as a team, some including winning our conference, and placing in the top 10 at Nationals. I think most players would agree that we have gotten off to a slow start this season, but we are growing and learning from our mistakes each day,” Brown said.
Coach Brian Nash said he and the team will continue to work on their focus and energy as they get into their season. “We’re going to keep moving forward, our goal is a top finish in the conference,” Nash said.
Marquette plays in the Wisconsin Volleyball Conference (WVC), a conference that has remained competitive, and produced national champions, for example, Lakeland College in 2008.
“We have arguably the most competitive conference not only in the state or Midwest, but in the nation. Teams such as UWO, Lakeland and UW-Whitewater always present us with a tough challenge when we play, and we know we must come out and play our best. Playing competition like this week in and week out always helps us perform well at Nationals, seeing as we have faced some of the best competition all season long,” Brown said.
The team is traveling to Southern California over spring break to play West Coast teams UCLA, Long Beach State and Loyola Marymount to prepare for Nationals.
“The team hopes this will help us gain an advantage over other Midwest teams having had the experience already of playing a West Coast team,” Brown said.
In April, Marquette hosts the WVC tournament, and the team hopes that along with continued training and hard work, a big fan turnout will cheer them to victory and give them a boost for the national competition, the following weekend.
“Winning in front of our fans would be really exciting and would be a great confidence boost heading into the national tournament the next weekend,” team setter Joe Gacioch said.
The Marquette men’s volleyball team still faces significant challenges from their upcoming opponents, but they are confident in their potential to be a driving force in the WVC. “We have the talent and experience to be a contender in the conference…we still have head-to-head matches against Lakeland and Whitewater that we’re hoping will give us that spark we’re looking for,” outside hitter Jonathon Gasteiner said.
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