CSB volleyball begins season with two tournaments

Earlier this month, the CSB volleyball team competed in the Washington University Invite in St. Louis and the Transy Invite in Lexington, Ky.

The Bennies opened their seaason at Washington University where they went 2-2. They followed up that weekend at Transylvania University where they went 3-1.

“We played good competition at both places and those experiences will help us as we transition into our conference season,” said head coach Nicole Hess.

The tournaments were a test of the team’s persistence as many talented teams were in attendance. The athletes had to play through the fatigue of back-to-back games and multiple days of play.

“There was great competition at this tournament. The majority of our games went to five [sets], but our team showed resilience and battled through to take multiple wins,” junior Emma Guest said.

When the team wasn’t playing or spending time in the gym, they were making time for team bonding activities.

“While we were in Missouri, we got to check out The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which was pretty cool. In Kentucky, we got a tour of the Keeneland Race Course and learned about thoroughbred horse racing. We also got to have a picnic with goats,” junior Mackenzie McDonald said.

The Missouri and Kentucky tournaments were full of tough competition. The team is ready to meet this competition head-on. In addition to the Missouri and Kentucky tournaments, the team beat the University of Minnesota Morris on Sept. 14, narrowly securing a win in five sets. The following weekend, the team went 2-2 in the Eau Claire Tournament.

“We have been playing some tough teams but have held our own against all of them. We all play well together on the court and have a lot of fun as a team off the court, as well,” McDonald said.

These matches provided momentum going into conference play. Winning the MIAC Championship is one of the team’s goals this season. Their first game of conference play was Sept. 21 against Hamline University. The Bennies won 3-0.

“We have a very competitive league and hope to see everyone fill Claire Lynch to help us defend home court,” Hess said.

The Bennies hope to improve on their 9-5 record. Guest attributes their success to their teamwork and dedication.

“Everyone serves a role and is important to the team. We work together and fight for however long it takes. We push each other every day to make one another better, and that is why we are so successful,” Guest said.