The Lady Pioneers first opponent was
Grace Bible College, a team with which Northland International University was very familiar. Because of
tournament draws and playoff formats, this was the sixth time these teams
competed. “It is difficult to be successful against a good team once—maybe
twice, but each time they get to figure you out a little more. I was cautiously
optimistic and a little anxious,” said Coach Herron prior to the first round of
play. The anxiety was misplaced as NI-U came out and played very well, winning
25–10 in the first set. The Pioneer offense had 13 kills and only 1 hitting
error. They also served well, keeping the Tiger offense off balance. Brittany
Scott commented, “We were ready to play, and everyone was doing their part—that was really good.” Set two started with GBC matching the energy level of
the higher seeded Pioneers, getting a 6–3 lead. This was where the whole
weekend changed for NI-U. Abi Walker took an awkward swing at a dead ball and
dislocated her right shoulder. She stood frozen on the sideline as Coach Herron
rushed to her side to assist, knowing exactly what had happened. As an injury timeout
was granted, the Lady Pioneers were now faced with some adversity that would
challenge their team theme of “Go Forward.” Coach Herron subbed Lauren Mullahy
into Walker’s spot and “let the team work things out.” Ellie Hodak and Brittany
Scott would now have to lead their shaken teammates forward. The Tigers
maintained a 3–5 lead up to a 21–18 lead. Coach Herron called a time-out,
had his first assistant Barb Herron deal with the team, and pulled aside
Ellie H. and Brittany S. He told them, “Your teammates need to be good right now,
and you two have to be great!” Sheer determination on the NI-U part got them
closer at 21–23. Great defense kept the pressure on the GBC offense, and four
straight hitting errors helped the Pioneers win set two, 25–23. This was critical
as NI-U went on to win set three, 25–13, and the match that put them into the
semi-finals against the Crusaders from MBBC—the #1 seed in the tournament.
Ellie Hodak led the NI-U offense with 14 kills followed by 6 from Beth Leeds.
Alicia Kellogg led the defense with 11 digs. Brittany Scott who was switched to
a 5-1 setter had 24 assists.
The Pioneers were encouraged not to
do what they could do (get angry, question, give up, wonder why) but to do what
they can do (focus, pull together, and deal with what they are now challenged
with). The injury to their teammate would change the line-up drastically and
call for different contributions from different players. The semi-final match
called for a match against a very good defense and the Regional MVP in Torey
Delozier. NI-U came out and played with inspiration but fell 20–25, 12–25, and
11–25. With Brittany Scott setting, her offense and defense was eliminated.
Walker’s offense could not be replaced either. “There were times in this match
that I was being more of a psychologist than a coach, and that is problematic. It was
very tough!” The best hitter for NI-U had only 7 kills in 40 swings. The NI-U
offensive inconsistency in the front row didn’t match the defensive intensity
in the back row.
The last match of the weekend for NI-U
would be in the third place match against Moody Bible Institute, the
#2 seed in the tournament. The Archers lost in four tough sets the evening before to
Lincoln Christian. The Pioneers were again exhorted by Coach Herron to
approach the match and trust each other. When adversity is high, attitude is of
utmost importance. The NI-U team came out wanting to do well, but their opponent
had more with which to play and won convincingly 25–14, 25–17, and 25–11. The Pioneer
offense was again not productive with more errors than kills. The Pioneers
finished with a 24–15 season record. Brittany Scott and Ellie Hodak were named
to the 2010 Midwest All-Region team with Brittany Scott being an All-American
candidate. Abi Walker and Alicia Kellogg gained a place on the All-Tournament
team.
Coach Herron summarized, “I feel
really bad for Abi Walker, a senior, and her teammates. This was not how we
wanted it, but to get angry is to question God’s sovereignty. He allows events
and wants a right response from us. God doesn’t care about winning as much as
He does about what you do with your abilities and the opportunities presented!”
The Pioneer program cannot continue to wade
around in the puddle of mediocrity; it must dive into the competitive pool and
be ready to swim fast. The volleyball team and players must get better, or the
program must get better players. Something must change; the team must
eliminate errors and duplicate great!