Listen Here
By: Lauren Wolters
woltersl1@findlay.edu
Spring volleyball performances continue to wow Head Coach Wick Colchagoff
The University of Findlay’s volleyball team finished their season 9-2 after a win over Ohio Valley three sets to one.
This is a huge improvement over their record last year when the Lady Oilers went 9-20. The team’s very successful regular season excites them for the postseason.
“I think we are confident going into tournament,” senior Olivia Morrison said via email. “We are super excited to have the opportunity to play more games, and even more excited to hopefully see some teams that we want another shot at.”
“We have had a lot of fun this season and some great individual performances,” Coach Wick Colchagoff said via email. “The freshmen have stepped up in a big way. I am very happy for the seniors that they will have a winning senior year to remember.”
In an email interview, freshman Hannah Warrington gave some insight on why the team has had so much success this season.
“Coach told us from the very beginning that this was going to be a unique season,” Warrington said. “Something our team has really focused on is controlling what we can do, regardless of our situation. With that, all of us girls have been working super hard not just in season, but in our preseason as well.”
Colchagoff and the team plan to keep working hard in the days leading up to the G-MAC Tournament.
“We hope to continue the improvement we have been making on a weekly basis,” Colchagoff said. “Specifically, we hope to decrease our unforced errors [and] stay aggressive in our approach to the game.”
The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) ranked the Oilers 13 in the country. This is the highest the team has ranked in the program’s history.
“I am happy for the athletes that they are getting recognized as one of the better teams in the nation,” Colchagoff said. “They have worked very hard this past year under difficult circumstances. That hard work was the foundation of this season’s success.”
“Going into this season I had no clue what to expect,” Warrington said. “Being a freshman, this is a whole new experience for me. To be a part of such an awesome team is an honor for sure. We have awesome senior leadership, a dedicated coaching staff and talented players. Our team is so well-rounded, and everyone contributes which I believe makes us so successful.”
Morrison agrees that the team’s chemistry and togetherness fueled their winning season.
“It’s whole team effort for us, and when we all do our part, we make each other perform better.” Morrison said.
Despite the success, the shortened season still provided the oilers with challenges. Morrison explained how the match against Ohio Dominican University tested the team mentally, emotionally and physically.
“We were coming off a ten-day quarantine, two senior starters [were] out with positive COVID-19 tests, and [we had] only two days of court time to prepare,” Morrison said. “The team stepped up. I was proud of our younger players for their ability to perform under the circumstances, and I was happy with the leadership from our seasoned players. It was a team win! It felt good!”
The quote for the season has been ‘Test negative, stay positive.’ The Lady Oilers will look to keep this mindset when they play Tuesday, March 9 in the quarterfinals of the G-MAC Tournament. Standard COVID-19 protocols will be in place.
Featured image courtesy of The University of Findlay Volleyball Facebook page.
