The Plattsburgh State women’s volleyball team just won its first in-conference SUNYAC match in the last two seasons, and while the team members are thrilled, they know that it is time to get some more.
Sophomore libero Jordynne Ales explained how special it was for the Cardinals to secure the win, a come-from-behind thriller against Potsdam.
“As a sophomore, this was my first SUNYAC win in my college career, and it was absolutely amazing,” Ales said. “I cried at the end. We were all so beyond happy to win such a good game.”
The win was nothing short of spectacular. The Cards, trailing Potsdam 24-20, rattled off four match point opportunities to tie the match at 24-24, and after surrendering one final point to Potsdam, took the lead and sealed the game by a score of 27-25. The forced fifth set saw PSUC easily outmatch the Bears 15-9, and the victory belonged to the Cards.
Head coach Jake Bluhm spoke about how important this game was for the team that day as well as moving forward.
“The team showed a lot of resiliency, being in that do-or-die position and being able to come out shows character,” Bluhm said. “It’s a huge confidence boost, if anything it shows we can do some really great things out there.”
This type of resilience shown by PSUC will need to be shown often if they are going to lead a successful campaign into the postseason. Bluhm elaborated on how important this one aspect of the game truly can be.
“What resiliency like that shows is that there is a strong drive to win,” Bluhm said. “That is something you need to advance further as well as become a better team.”
This idea of becoming not just a better team, but a better program as a whole, has been a common theme for the Cards this season. Bluhm has said often that one of his main focuses is getting the program to a point where they can be seen as consistent winners and not someone labeled as an easy win. The season so far has seen PSUC take a giant step toward this goal, and Bluhm recognizes that this does not happen quickly, but he is happy about the direction the team is headed.
“It definitely is not something that happens overnight,” Bluhm said, “but I think the girls are buying into the idea of being winners. They are very competitive with one another, and I believe that breeds productivity. I definitely see a positive swing in that direction.”
The Cards are definitely in a better spot right now than they have been in the last few seasons. They are entering a stretch where they can define their season and make 2015 count. They have the chance to participate in playoff volleyball, and turn some heads in a conference that has not been too kind to them for the past few seasons.
Assistant coach Matt Lein is confident with his team’s chances heading forward.
“We have had a lot of progress from day one, and I only see us getting better from here.”
Email Bailey Carlin at sports@cardinalpointsonline.com
