The Plattsburgh State volleyball team won both of its matches against Northern Vermont University-Johnson and Norwich University, where the team raised more than $1,000 for breast cancer awareness.
The Cardinals swept Johnson 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-19) Tuesday and went on to top Norwich 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-13) Wednesday.
“It feels good to finally get some wins again after having a losing streak, and that’s OK,” senior Brianna Coon said. “I think we came out strong with a lot of energy.”
Head coach Matthew Lein said the team tried out different rotations, which resulted in more production. He was upbeat about the win against Johnson and was hoping the team would bring more energy for the match with Norwich.
Coon said the team changed up their rotation from a 6-2 system to a 5-1 system this week. It was mind-boggling at first she said, but believes they found the rhythm.
The change in rotation reduces the offensive options and creates a more consistent set for the team where only one primary setter controls the offense.
Senior Megan Hyde said the team brought out more energy in the match with Norwich and earned more points instead of making errors.
Lein said even though the team was not playing at its full potential, it is always good to win and that boosts the team’s confidence. He said the win was much needed for the team.
“Every loss brings motivation to win and no matter what sport you play, you want to win,” Hyde said. “I think it’s really important that you come back from a loss and bring more energy [for] the next game.”
Hyde said the team channeled the losses in their practices and worked on their mistakes to bring that motivation to the next game. She said no one wants to lose but one makes mistakes to get better.
Coon said winning two matches in a row boosts the team’s confidence level. She wants the team to bring this energy and momentum to the next matches.
Hyde also said while all matches are important, SUNYAC conference games are among the most important matches of the season, and she hopes to continue the winning streak with the next conference game.
Lein said the team will be off for the weekend and get back to practice by Monday. He believes mental breaks are a huge part for the team as they play a lot of games within a short amount of time. Lein also said he does not want to push the team too much and wants the team to be ready to play.
Hyde said for the upcoming week that she expects the team to bring the same energy.
“I hope we win so we move up in conference [standings] because we want to make it to SUNYAC,” Coon said.
The match with Norwich was the Dig Pink Match, which was a game to bring attention to breast cancer awareness. The Cards not only sold T-shirts but also collected donations to fight against breast cancer.
Plattsburgh State raised more than $1,000 through this event and all will be donated to the Side-Out Foundation to benefit breast cancer research.
In the spirit of fighting breast cancer, the Cards wore pink when they played against Norwich.
Lein said he was blessed to put on the event and to bring awareness to the cause, as he believes it affects people personally.
“It’s just a great cause and a great foundation to give to,” Lein said. “I’m happy to be able to contribute a little bit.”
