Last weekend the Plattsburgh State volleyball team went head to head with New York University, University of Scranton, Hood College and Kean University at the Cougar Classic hosted by Kean University in Union, New Jersey.
The Cardinals finished the tournament 1-3. On Friday, the team lost to New York University 2-3 (24-26, 25-20, 16-25, 25-21, 7-15) and University of Scranton 0-3 (8-25, 17-25, 19-25). Then on Saturday, the Cards came back and defeated Hood College 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-18), but were then beaten by Kean University 1-3 (17-25, 25-19, 22-25, 13-25).
Head Coach Jake Bluhm emphasized the importance of consistency in the win against Hood College, and carrying that over to other matches to collect more victories in the future.
“The win feels nice,” Bluhm said. “I hope the team came away from this tournament knowing that they actually played very well. There were some really good teams there, we played tough and with a high level consistently throughout and will continue to strive for that.”
Sophomore outside hitter Megan Hyde and sophomore right side and outside hitter Hunter Grotjohn attributed the win to more energy on the court and a sheer determination to win a game.
“We got on a serving streak at one point that pumped us up and then we just kept going,” said Grotjohn “We realized that we had to win a game, which made us more focused so we played all out.”
Even though PSUC lost more games than it has won, the losses have not dampened the Cards’ fighting spirit. The team is still very optimistic and determined to improve itself throughout the season.
Hyde stressed that each loss is a learning opportunity for the team and can help improve the team’s technique in the games to come.
“We can take what we did wrong with those matches and bring those into our next game and fix them” Hyde said.
Bluhm explained that the newer nature of the team could have also played a part in how the team performed last weekend.
“The team is still pretty young and they are still learning how to work together.” Bluhm said “There are a lot of moving pieces right now that are trying to gel together, which can be tough when the team is younger and haven’t really played together.”
PSUC continues to strive for a stronger bond within the team that will carry them to victory.
“The players are doing a better job with communicating with each other.” Bluhm said. “The chemistry is going to come with them communicating and understanding that we’re all here to do the same thing, win volleyball games. The only way that’s going to happen is with communication, hard work, and consistency.”
The Cards then faced off against St. Lawrence University this past Tuesday in Memorial Hall and were defeated 0-3 (21-25, 19-25, 20-25).
PSUC will be participating in the Hartwick Tournament today and tomorrow in Oneonta, N.Y. where they will face Baldwin Wallace University, King’s College, and Hartwick College.
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