The Plattsburgh State women’s volleyball team kept their goals relatively simple this season. Play hard, perform at the highest level possible, mesh well as a team and try to set the program in a more winning direction.
Head coach Jake Bluhm believes that though the Cardinal’s 7-14 record is obviously not ideal, the team has been doing many more things right than wrong lately, and he is pleased with his team’s performance, even though a lot would have to go right for PSUC and wrong for the rest of the conference in order for the team to make the SUNYAC tournament, but that is not the end of the world.
Each season is about getting better and that is exactly what the Cards are doing.
They have consistently competed with teams that have routed them in previous seasons, and have consistently turned matches that previously would have gotten out of hand into battles and close contests.
Bluhm acknowledges that taking a program with a history full of mostly losing and turning it into one known for winning is not an easy task, and that any progress is significant progress.
“I have been making sure that regardless of win/losses results our play has been extremely elevated,” Bluhm said. “We have played well against some of the best teams in the conference. Moving forward and keeping a positive mentality is definitely the task at hand right now.”
Sophomore libero Jordynne Ales is equally proud of her squad’s ability to find the good in what some would call a disappointing season.
Though scrolling through the team’s statistics and schedule may not scream success, those on the court fighting close matches and working their tails off in practice are well aware of the team’s improvement.
“Sometimes we don’t come out with the win but how we’re playing is a lot better than our record shows,” Ales said.
Senior inside hitter Emily Miller has mentioned multiple times throughout the season that the team has been playing at a high level, regardless of what their record is, and that the play overall is vastly improved from previous seasons.
“Our team dynamics have been great and we have been playing together way better than we have before,” Miller said. “I would say we have improved drastically overall.”
Ales is beyond pleased with how such a young group has come so far in such a short amount of time.
“We’re getting better coming together. It takes a long time to get used to how people play, but we are getting it,” Ales said. “A lot of the teams we are playing have juniors and seniors, and having our freshmen and sophomores keep up with that shows in the next couple years we are really going to come together.”
Email Bailey Carlin at sports@cardinalpointsonline.com
