Opportunity at hand
By Micah McVicker | Editorial Assistant
Fueled by last season’s loss against Grand Valley State at the NCAA Midwest Regional, the tenth-ranked Greyhound volleyball team (as of The Reflector’s press time) continues to shatter records as the squad enjoys unprecedented success. The Lady ‘Hounds have become arguably the best team in program history, pacing all of NCAA Division II with 32 victories.
Yet the ‘Hounds remain hungry to play deep into the postseason.
“I don’t think that the season would be complete unless we won a conference championship. That’s our first goal,” said junior co-captain and outside hitter Lyndsay Callahan. “Our second goal would be to go to the Elite Eight and hopefully do well there. The ultimate goal is to win a national championship.”
The team’s lone loss this season came versus conference arch-rival Lewis University carried historical significance, as the Flyers snapped the Lady ‘Hounds program-record 14-game winning streak to begin a season. The series of wins earned the Lady ‘Hounds the highest ranking in program history, climbing to ninth prior to the loss. Despite the team’s only defeat, junior setter and outside hitter Cheneta Morrison said the mind set remains the same.
“When we go to sleep, this loss will be over. We can’t harp on a loss,” said Morrison after the team’s only loss on Sept. 18. “Every time we lose a game, we’re 0-0. Tonight, we’re 0-0 going into tomorrow.”
UIndy continued rewriting the record books in an Oct. 31 four-set win over the Rockhurst Hawks. The ‘Hounds earned their 30th victory, making the 2009 edition the second team in school history to post 30 wins.
In the final week of the regular season, the team finished strong versus St. Joe’s and Maryville, sweeping both matches to push their win total on the season to 32.
Individual records have also fallen during the ‘09 campaign. The Lady ‘Hounds Sept. 12 victory in straight sets over Northwest Missouri State gave Butera her 300th career victory.
Callahan cemented a bit of her own legacy in an Oct. 13 four-set victory over Taylor University when she became the seventh Greyhound in school history to amass 1,000 career kills. She also became the fourth player in the program to accumulate a thousand digs and kills. Callahan credited her teammates in helping her reach the milestone.
“To be honest, I never thought I was going to get there. This season is special to me regardless of my accomplishment. I love playing with these girls,” Callahan said. “I have never been on a team like this before. I love coming to practice. My teammates make it special.”
Butera also acknowledged the relevance of intangibles, things that don’t appear in the box score.
“The girls are all on the same page, and the chemistry and the morale of the team has been the best I’ve seen in my 13 years,” Butera said. “I think with that you can go as far as you possibly can. They all understand what’s at stake.”
The ‘Hounds travel to Romeoville, Ill. to begin competition in the GLVC Championships as the second seed, where they will play the seventh-seeded Drury Panthers on Friday, Nov. 13 at 2:30 p.m.
