In the last tournament of the year, the volleyball team suffered a defeat at the hands of Williams College. Despite high hopes entering the NESCAC playoffs, the eighth-seeded Cardinals struggled from the start of their opening round match against Williams, going down 0-3 against the first-seeded Ephs. The final contest capped the solid collegiate careers of the team’s three seniors, captain Rebecca Mintz ’05, captain Cynthia Ugbomah ’05 and Katie Annand ’05.
Facing powerhouse Williams in the first round of the NESCAC tournament was no easy task. Overpowered from the start, the squad failed to surpass the 20-point mark in each of the three rounds, falling by scores of 15-30, 14-30 and 16-30.
“We went in with a lack of confidence,” Mintz said. “We somewhat feared the legacy of Williams, as they have hurt us since my freshman year.”
Despite losing their final match, the Cardinals had several moments throughout the season in which they were able to compete with top-notch squads, including their emotional victory over Amherst in early October, avenging a defeat from earlier in the season.
The turning point of the season was the week leading up to the Amherst contest, in which the squad held a team meeting.
“The Amherst match this season was one of the highlights of my career, in addition to defeating Williams my freshman year,” Mintz said. “In the week before we played Amherst, we held a team dinner to address some issues. From that dinner we were able to change certain things that helped us on the court. I am really proud of the ability of this team to affect change in ourselves.”
Other members of the team also commented on the change in the team.
“I’d pick the team meeting before the Amherst game [as the highlight of the year], when we came together and everyone showed that they really wanted to get fired up for that game, that we wanted to sit down and figure out what we needed to do to win,” said defensive stopper Tory Molnar ’07.
One thing that certainly helped the volleyball squad and made a lasting impression on several players was the bonding and camaraderie felt on the court by all of the Cardinal players.
“I have never experienced this type of camaraderie on the court before,” Mintz said. “Even though we didn’t win as many games as I would have liked, this was my favorite season and one in which we grew the most as a team. The friendships we developed through the season were really important parts of this team. Everyone really likes each other, and that friendship will exist next season. It was such a positive and emotional experience, and that created a great atmosphere around the team.”
A large reason for the team’s positive experience on the court was the key senior leadership on the squad, which was critical to the development of the younger players this season.
“The thing about this year’s seniors was they weren’t just good leaders, they were genuinely great people,” Molnar said. “Becca [Mintz] is an amazing all around player. She’s so fun just to be around and to play with, and she is so good at figuring out what we need to get fired up. She supplied most of the energy on the court this season and invested herself in every game, and you could feel it. And Cynthia I’m really going to miss. She’s hilarious and fun and keeps everyone positive.”
Looking to next year, the volleyball team will have plenty of talent to build from, as the team has a solid group of younger players returning.
“While we are losing two ridiculously good people, I think we’ll get a lot better overall just having more experience,” Molnar said. “The thing we needed most this year, consistency, sometimes is just something you get with time.”
“I see nothing but success in the future for this team,” Mintz said. “I am really excited by the leadership qualities of the seniors for next year. Everyone has shown the capability that they are able to step up and take the leadership role on this team.”
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