With 19 wins this year and a championship within reach, 黑料正能量鈥檚 men’s is exhilarating fans 鈥� and the team can feel it.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a lot more energy behind us this year,鈥� said Travis Abele, a sophomore business administration major from Mechanicsville, Virginia. 鈥淟ast year we were that bubble team: Were we in or were we out? It literally came down to a couple points. This year, we鈥檙e fighting for a one- or a two-seed for the big dance, so it鈥檚 been a complete 180 from an unknown to, 鈥業t鈥檚 in our hands.鈥欌��
The Royals played their last home stand to a large and enthusiastic crowd March 24, thumping Alvernia University 3-0, but then lost at Juniata College on Tuesday, which puts the now Eastern Mennonite to 19-8 on the season, including 8-3 in the (CVC). The team ends the regular season with four more straight road matches, starting today [March 31] at Cairn University.
The team aims to secure the program鈥檚 first-ever bid into the four-team CVC Tournament. But they鈥檝e already made history, having equaled the 2002 and 2006 teams for the second-most wins in program history. The 2007 squad finished 22-11 and is the only 黑料正能量 team to earn more than 20 wins.
Culture change and communication
The Royals鈥� ongoing success hasn鈥檛 just happened; it鈥檚 built on what sole senior , a business major from Richmond, sums up in one word: 鈥淐hemistry.鈥�
It鈥檚 cultural, players say: In addition to having high expectations, they know what it takes to work together 鈥� and win 鈥� as a team. That鈥檚 because six members are from the Richmond area, where they played together on teams or at least in pickup games; two others also have backgrounds in a common club.
Interim head coach said that knowing each others鈥� individual strengths and vulnerabilities makes for a tight team. 鈥淭hey have to know exactly how their teammates will react to the play, within half a second,鈥� he said.
It also takes direct, verbal communication. Junior , a biochemistry major from Richmond, remembers a players鈥� meeting near the end of last year鈥檚 season that put things into perspective for the team: every last member needed to be all-in. That meeting strengthened the team for the remainder of that season, he thinks, and the spirit has carried over into this year.
Brigham calls it 鈥渘ot beating around the bush.鈥� He said that if something鈥檚 not working, the team comes together to improve.
鈥淣o one鈥檚 afraid to step up and say, 鈥榃e鈥檝e got to change something now.鈥� And usually everyone gets on board, everyone hears each other out, and usually decisions are made within about five minutes,鈥� said sophomore , of Mechanicsville.
鈥淲e鈥檙e on mission,鈥� said Madden. 鈥淲hen guys want the same things, that鈥檚 what brings them together. That鈥檚 really what has helped us this year come together as a team. We want to win.鈥�
Accountability matters
But there鈥檚 more to the story, too, which Madden is quick to point out: 鈥淎 lot of them are best friends. A lot of them are living together. They eat meals together. They take classes together. They鈥檙e each other鈥檚 best friends. It鈥檚 pretty awesome.鈥�
That鈥檚 not just the coach鈥檚 perspective. Buller calls the group 鈥渃lose-knit.鈥�
Abele goes even further: 鈥淵ou start to lose the word 鈥榯eam鈥� and start migrating to 鈥榝amily,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not afraid to be big brothers for everyone else. But it happens both ways. We each have that big brother mentality.鈥�
This has meant sitting down with teammates who are struggling, and not just on the court. When one teammate started missing classes, 鈥渨e literally all ganged up on him one day in a nice way and were like, 鈥業t鈥檚 got to stop,鈥欌�� said Abele. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he鈥檚 missed a class since. That鈥檚 the kind of accountability we have.鈥�
When the team comes together around a 鈥渟lipping鈥� teammate, 鈥渋t鈥檚 not him punishing him per se, but like us coming together and saying, 鈥楥ome on, we got you,鈥欌�� said Brigham.
鈥淏ecause in the long run, it could affect all of us,鈥� said Buller. 鈥淪chool鈥檚 always first, and if that slips, then the team starts to slip. If they鈥檙e not there, then it hurts the team.鈥�
Ultimately, Brigham says, the experience is teaching teammates about how to work together, how to analyze a situation, and decide when and if it鈥檚 necessary to step into a mediation or leadership role.
That鈥檚 a different approach from just blind pursuit of glory; it鈥檚 unselfish volleyball. To Madden, that separates the 鈥済reats鈥� from the 鈥済oods.鈥�
鈥淧layers that really want to celebrate another teammate鈥檚 success are hard to come by,鈥� he said. 鈥淕reat teammates take pride in each other, even if it means you won鈥檛 get the ball.鈥�
That kind of teamwork, for these particular athletes, has made all the difference 鈥� on and off the court.