On Saturday, October 4, NW volleyball defeated the Doane Tigers, sweeping all three sets to claim a decisive homecoming victory. The win propelled the Raiders to a 16-3 overall record and continues their undefeated streak against Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) competition over eight games this season. The team, currently ranked 7th in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) rankings, has not lost a conference match since facing College of St. Mary in September of 2023.
“We had a lot of motivation coming into this game with it being homecoming weekend, senior night, parents’ night, and our only home weekend game the whole season,” Maddy Sampson, sophomore middle hitter, said. “We thought that we had nothing to lose and were looking forward to this game for a long time with being on the road so much this season.”
This mentality proved successful for the Raiders when the time came to put their motivation into action. Sampson executed a whopping 13 kills and three blocks. As a result of her performance that night, she was named GPAC Attacker of the Week. But it was the cooperation of the full team that drove them to victory.
“We came out with a lot of energy and stayed composed throughout the match,” Liv Reitsma, senior setter, said. “Our communication and teamwork have been improving each game, and I think it really showed that night.”
Sampson echoed the sentiment.
“In practice we have been working on playing at a faster pace and that was shown in the game on Saturday,” Sampson said. “Our back row was a key factor in the game.”
While it was a dominant win, it did not mean it was easy on the players. This is the point in the season where the high workload and quick turnaround between games can begin to take a toll on athletes if not careful.
“I think Coach does a great job of reading how practices are going after a long weekend or tough game,” Reitsma said. “He knows that if he keeps pushing when we are sore or tired, he probably will not get much out of us. But if we take the time to recover and come back the next day with more energy and well-rested bodies, we perform a lot better.”
Another key factor in maintaining motivation and consistency is the bond within the team itself.
“We have faced tough matches and moments where things did not go our way, but we always find a way to regroup and fight back,” Reitsma said. “I also think everyone has bought into their role and our chemistry both on and off the court keeps getting stronger.”
With talented athletes and committed teamwork, the future looks bright for the Raiders.
