by Mary Nelson

This past week was filled with numerous events, triumph and adversity, and fun and excitement. Following our win against SCSU last Saturday, we started this new week off with a relaxed day on Sunday, catching up on homework and taking care of our bodies for the important days ahead. On Monday, we went straight to work in the gym preparing for a strong matchup against Merrimack College. The next day brought with it an intense eagerness and impatience having to wait to play until the 7pm start time. Once the game was finally underway we found ourselves chipping away point by point after a slow start before turning up the heat and starting to compete at a high level. In a short matter of time we were controlling the tempo of the game and firing from all cylinders – complete domination. In a total team effort, we were able to sweep Merrimack in three sets and garner a huge win under our belt.

Following a great win over Merrimack, we went back to work on Wednesday getting in a lot of good reps. On Thursday we took some time off to rest our bodies and rejuvenate for the crucial next two days, but not before joining with the rest of the Stonehill community in celebrating the opening seasons of our winter sports teams at Midnight Madness. The night was quite eventful including an obstacle course, musical chairs, knock-out, a 3-point contest, and a dunking contest to name a few. The madness was at an ultimate high and the energy was palpable. After a crazy and long night we all hit the sheets for some much needed zzzzz's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to work in the gym on Friday we began prepping for a highly anticipated game against New Haven – a team we have always gone head-to-head with. On Saturday, we ate brunch as a team, per usual, before heading over to the game, which was set to start at 1pm. With friends and family in attendance to support, our excitement ran high and we were feeling pretty good. Both teams played hard, but despite our resilient efforts and putting up a tough fight, we fell just short, suffering our second conference loss on the season. Although it was not the outcome we wanted, we held our heads high and reflected on this as a learning experience and a lesson that, as great of a team as we are, we still – like any other team – have room to grow. However, it wouldn't be the last time New Haven saw us.

Even though we had faced a small setback in the loss, we weren't going to let that get to us. We were determined to have a little fun and not dwell on the game. Saturday night presented us with the perfect opportunity – the Halloween mixer. It was a time to dress up in our Halloween costumes and go to a dance with our friends and have a good time. It was a great way to finish the day and a nice ending to a long week.

Check back next week for the 12th installment of the VolleyBlog series! To view past posts, click here.