Volleyball wins two NCAC games, makes postseason

While the rest of the student body is away, the athletes on campus still play. Through midterms week and into break, the women's volleyball team played eight games, five against NCAC opponents including the top three teams in the conference. They emerged a bit battle weary, but with two victories against NCAC teams, assuring the squad a place in the conference tournament to be held Nov. 2, 5 and 6.

The Yeowomen started off the stretch with a doubleheader at home Saturday, Oct. 9 against nationally ranked Wittenberg University and former NCAC powerhouse Allegheny College. Oberlin was unable to mount a successful attack against either school, falling to Witt 1-15, 6-15, 9-15. The team managed to avoid a total sweep on the day by taking the first game against Allegheny 15-8. Although they would keep the score close through the next two games, a sore spiking shoulder hampering sophomore Anna Ruth coupled with the ŒGators powerful offense proved to be too much and Oberlin fell 14-16, 13-15, 6-15. At press time, Ruth was ranked third overall in the conference in kills per game.

"We played really well against Allegheny," said junior Carrie Carter. "We could have beat them." But with the second-ranked Battling Bishops of Ohio Wesleyan next on their schedule, the Yeowomen couldn't dwell in the past.

Tuesday, Oct. 12 brought the team to Delaware, Ohio for a match that proved to be one not to remember as Oberlin managed only two points in the first two games en route to a 2-15, 0-15, 8-15 sweep.

The loss may just have been the kickstart the team needed against Hiram College two days later. Whatever the reason, Oberlin came out of the gates strong and never looked back, stomping the Terriers to such an extent that the ASPCA was called in‹15-5, 15-11, 15-3.

The weekend of Oct. 16 found Oberlin embarked on an East Coast swing with matches at Rutgers-Newark (NJ) and New York University. Despite their lack of experience or scouting on either team, the Yeowomen hung tough in both matches. Rutgers pulled out the win, but not before losing one game and sending another to tiebreak 8-15, 15-11, 14-16, 4-15. The NYU Violets (you heard it here first folksŠ we don't have the worst nickname) likewise defeated Oberlin in four games 15-11, 7-15, 8-15, 10-15.

Oberlin closed out their NCAC season at Denison University on Saturday, Oct. 23 with another doubleheader, this time against Denison and Earlham College. The Big Red (22-8 overall, 5-2 in the NCAC) lived up to their number three ranking with a 15-4, 15-7, 15-4 win over Oberlin.

The Yeowomen looked to be in danger of caving in the next match against the Earlham Quakers when they lost the first game 3-15. Oberlin rallied back in convincing fashion to win the match 3-15, 15-9, 15-9, 15-4. "Against Earlham our defense was superb," said first-year Katherine Gass.

The win was hopefully indicative of the type of play Oberlin will bring into the NCAC tournament. Every player mentioned the team's renewed connection to one another.

"Earlham was a really fun game to play," said Carter. "It really felt like we could trust each other and count on each other."

"We played really well," agreed sophomore Mai Lynn Grajewski. "We all pulled together."

The Earlham win brought Oberlin's record up to 8-22 overall and 2-7 in the NCAC. The eight wins almost tripled last season's total but it's the in-conference record that carries more importance. The two wins, although seemingly small, guarantee the Oberlin will come out on top of Hiram in the conference standings. The top eight teams in a conference of nine make the tournament.

The Yeowomen are pumped, no question. "We're really confident," said first-year Danya Abt. "Everyone [in the NCAC] has a really mixed up record especially after this week. Wittenberg is the only team whose ranking is set, everyone else is up in the air."

"[I'm] feeling pretty positive," said first-year Mariana Padias. "I feel this past week we really stepped up our intensity, we had really good practices, we came together."

"We've all been stepping up a bit," Grajewski said about the team's attitude as of late. "We're feeling pretty solid."

Oberlin will likely face undefeated Wittenberg University in the first round. However, the apparent invincibility of their opponent and their previous loss to Witt hasn't discouraged the women in the least.

"We're not in any way giving up at all," said Carter. "We're going to push through and beat them."

Added Gass, "We realize we're going to have to play better than we have all season in order to beat them, but we certainly believe it's a possibility."

"It's a game and anything can happen on any given day. Any team can be beaten," said Abt. To topple the conference champs will require some extra effort however. "Our coach says we need to play out of our minds," said Abt. If they succeed, the players are even surer of the outcome. "If we beat them there's no team to stop us," said Grajewski.

Oberlin has one non-conference game before the tournament commences. While their current focus is on that game, there's no doubt what's on all their minds.

"Wittenberg is totally counting us out," said Padias. "They're totally writing us off. They have no idea how much heart we have."

Their mistake. Oberlin plays their final regular season game home against Bryn Mawr on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Philips Gym.

Sweet spike: Oberlin felled both Hiram College (above) and Earlham College in the past week to earn a spot in the conference tournament. (photo by Brian Hodgkin)