The Augustana volleyball team currently has a 1-1 record in conference and are hoping to go 3-1 after their upcoming matches against Elmhurst College and Illinois Wesleyan University this week.
The Vikings have lost to Elmhurst the past couple years and are hoping for a victory against them this week. The seniors have never defeated Elmhurst before and captain Nicole Morrissey said they are all really looking forward to this game.
“This is our shot. This is our chance,” Morrissey said.
Head coach Kelly Bethke has high expectations for the whole team, but specifically the captains as well.
“My expectations of (the captains) is to be not only great players on the court, but strong leaders,” Bethke said.
The Vikings have defeated Illinois-Wesleyan the past four seasons and are hoping to have a similar result when they play them on Oct. 7. Bethke said that that match-up is always an exciting game.
Elmhurst and Illinois Wesleyan are two of the highest ranked teams in the CCIW conference, Bethke is hoping to mix things up at the top of the bracket by winning both upcoming matches.
To prepare for the matches, and these two specifically, the team practices techniques and drills that cater to the other teams. Bethke has the girls watch film of the opposing team and prepare players for their games.
“Our coach is really good at making practice plans that revolve around the team that we’re going to play,” Morrissey said.
However, the team does not solely focus on how the other team plays, but also on the strengths and weaknesses of themselves and their team.
“A lot of our focus isn’t always on the team that we play, it’s really on us,” Bethke said. “We always talk about what we can control and the one thing we can control is the way that we play. It’s our offense and it’s our defense,”