At West Chester (25-20, 27-25, 18-25, 18-25, 15-9)
John's Commentary: "I knew this was going to be a tough match to win as soon as I walked in the gym, and saw that West Chester THE hottest work crew I have ever seen. Point... West Chester. I knew that was trouble for our group of horndogs we call the volleyball team. The gym was also hot as the dickens, as our throats dried out within the first thirty seconds of warming up, so it was a terrible night to forget to bring ice in the cooler. The water that we used was from a cooler that someone mistakenly (maybe it was a setup) left in the visiting locker room, and Woody and I decided it would be OK to use. Maybe that's why we sucked. Anyhow, West Chester did play really well, much better than when we beat the crap out of them at Shippensburg last Fall. They will be a force to be reckoned with, and hopefully they make a trip out to Nationals. And if they bring their work crew with them, the down ref will be staying with me."
Coach's Commentary: "It has been said that the basic nature of a person's character is truly revealed in times of adversity. This same statement is just as true when applied to a team. And tonight, in the face of adversity, this 'Ville team revealed its true nature to me. We faced a difficult and unsettling task - having been up two games to none in the match, we dropped the next two games. Not just dropped them, but had them ripped from our grasp by a West Chester team determined not to falter in its own gym in front of its own fans.
The match did not turn from us because we let up - we did no such thing. The momentum did not desert us because we decided the match was in the bag, and that past performance (a 2-0 start) guaranteed future returns (a 3-0 victory). The match turned on the undaunted will and determination of the West Chester team.
No team that we have played this season has brought the overall ferocity and spirit to the court that WCU did in the 3rd and 4th games. They simply did not allow 'Ville to put the ball to the floor on their side of the court. For those two games, WCU played impassioned defense, smart and near-flawless offense, and brought every bit of desire they could muster to their game.
This was the first time I'd truly seen us frustrated on the court - to the point that we started to break down as a team. And that is when I started to worry. We were amazed at what WCU was doing to us (or more accurately, what they were keeping us from doing to them). Only one team (Navy), for one game, has held us under 20 points this season. WCU did it twice.
We "let" a 2-0 lead turn into a 2-2 tie, and our fortune lay in the outcome of one 15-point deciding game, with absolutely no momentum on our side. And with the cheers of jubilant and hostile fans filling the gym and ringing in our ears... It was a test of our character - a test we have not had to face against a D-II team this season, but a test we must learn to "ace" if we are to achieve a true measure of success this year.
In the face of that adversity, 'Ville prevailed. As if we were riding the "Mo" of the first two games rather than being swamped by the WCU tidal wave of the last two games, this 'Ville team betrayed not a hint of the frustration and dissension that defined games three and four. With confidence and fortitude, 'Ville assumed control of the match, reversed their misfortunes, and brought home a thrilling victory against a great team in an inhospitable environment.
There were no individual stars of note. The team was the star - its collective will won the match, not just in the fifth game, but in the second game, as well. In that game, for the first time this season, we faced down several game points, and won. The team knows that if it is to truly succeed, we must learn to thrive on this pressure - and respond to that pressure by reaching to the mythical "next level". It is at those times that the team has the most opportunity for growth.
Tonight, this team grew...
Last Friday, when we swept Kings, I could not have been any prouder of this team (or so I thought). Tonight, even though I may not have done a good job of showing it - my pride grew, along with the team."