Written by Kelly Mahawanniarachchi
The Harding University men’s travel volleyball team competed in the Midwest Plains Volleyball Conference Central Regional Tournament Feb. 8 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and won the tournament.
Joshua Schmidtlein, team captain and junior athlete, spoke to how much he values the team’s determination, especially in the face of adversity during the tournament.
“The most challenging moment in the tournament was running a new rotation,” Schmidtlein said. “Volleyball rotations can be challenging, but to then have players play a position they aren’t accustomed to, it’s difficult. The team responded well, and their drive, motivation, and talents meshed well with the position they played.”
The team won five matches during the tournament and only dropped two sets out of ten. This accomplishment
Silas Sheahen, a junior athlete who has been on the team for the past two years, shared his favorite aspect of the tournament.
“My favorite moment was when we went to Lambert’s [Cafe] after we won the tournament,” Sheahen said. “We really bonded as a team and celebrated the win.”
Isaiah Braswell, a sophomore athlete who has played on the team for the past two years, commented on his decision to join the team.
“Putting in some work, I made the practice team first,” Braswell said. “I was then told after a lot of practice that I’d be traveling. Having a great group of guys to play with and having the opportunity to play against some tough teams is a lot of fun.”
Schmidtlein also spoke to his role as team captain in keeping the team motivated and focused.
“In all honesty, as captain, I didn’t need to do much to keep the team motivated,” Schmidtlein said. “Our communication was proactive instead of reactive, leading to a more congruent play style. Overall, the team understood why we came to play and what we had to do to compete.”
The team practices three days a week for two hours at a time. Sheahen shared the usual setup at practice.
“At practice, we warm up, do hitting lines, do a few drills, and end with a scrimmage,” Sheahen said. “We have a serious, but positive, atmosphere which helps keep us motivated.”
Although the team is skilled, one the most important things to the team is the relationships formed among them. Schmidtlein shared about the progress the team has made in forming chemistry among themselves.
“The chemistry of the team is something that keeps improving every year,” Schmidtlein said. “It’s always tough to start a new program with players from different states with inconsistent volleyball background knowledge, but I believe it’s the passion for the game that has brought us all together.”
