Rookies Rising While Veterans are Shining: An Opening Serve to the Women’s Volleyball Season

by: Samuel Moors

Windsor, ON – Tight losses to clutch wins.  That’s the difference this year’s University of Windsor Lancers women’s volleyball team would like to see, led by returning veterans and promising rookies.

The Lancers are off to a hot start this season with a 4-0 start, thanks to back-to-back wins over the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold and the Lakehead Thunderwolves – all on home court.  Life on the road, however, yielded consecutive losses to the Queen’s Gaels this past weekend.  Still, they’re 4-2.

The early season success can be seen as the key mix of experienced veteran play as well as young ambitious rookies eager to claim a spot on the court and change the narrative from last season. Head coach Lucas Hodgson says wins in tight matches were elusive a season ago.

“We lost a lot of games in five (sets) last year, with five of them to teams in the top ten in the country, it’s a bit demoralizing but can also give us a lift because you’re so close with those top teams.”

Hodgson also talked about the goals for the team and how their hope is to be defending home court in the playoffs. This goal has resonated with the team, including new members like Elle OConnell, a first-year outside hitter.

“As a team, we all agreed one of our goals was definitely to make playoffs and host a playoff game,” OConnell said. “For me, personally, because I’m a first-year just getting on the court is something I want.”

The rookies, four of them to be exact, have shown their ambition to become key players which gives the veteran players motivation to keep their spot on the court. But, as with any great team, it is about those older players succeeding on the court while showing the newcomers what a jump into university athletics can look like.

Women’s Volleyball team in action Nov 1^st against the Lakehead Thunderwolves

Fourth-year setter Danika Scharff says she encourages her younger teammates to take the long-view.

“Be patient, you got to put in the work, and you’ll eventually meet your goals.”

Hodgson says his staff uses the veteran leadership effectively to best transition players.

“We have a mentor system, each veteran has a rookie under their wing.  This year it’s actually two vets to a rookie because we have so many vets-to-rookies ratio,” he says.  “We try to put one that’s on the academic side and one more positionally.”

The early returns of the roster mix seems like it has paid off in wins.  The challenge will be to sustain that momentum, especially when on the road.