Imagine beating a top-ranked team for the first time ever!  On Sept 2nd and 3rd at the Spalding Tournament in Kentucky, Rochester College’s Women’s Volleyball team knocked off rival Spalding University, according to Coach David Crump.  Keri Teschler, a junior and captain on the team, says of the Spalding Tournament, “This was the first time we’ve managed to do that in the three years I’ve been here….it was a great confidence boost for the team.”  In addition they were able to pull out a win against Oakland City, a D2 school in Indiana. They also won their tournament against PSU-Beaver and went 3-1 at Concordia University.  Coach Crump, now in his seventh season at RC, says, “We are focused on beating every USCAA opponent we face.”

With 17 students on the team this year, comprised of three seniors, five juniors, four sophomores and five freshmen, the team is pretty well balanced.  According to Coach Crump, they require many key players in order to have a balanced defense and attack.  Of these key players, senior and captain Traci Taylor has received all-tournament team honors this year.  In previous years, Nikki McKerracher and Keri Teschler have also received these honors.  USCAA top ranked hitters Layne Molosky and Emily Serrano are also a vital part of the team, as well as defense players Emily Rajter and Vicki LaFramboise.

When asked about the strengths and weaknesses of the team, Coach Crump responded, “Our strengths are playing as a team and being well balanced.  We have lots of talent and include a lot of players in our rotation.”  The girls’ coach records their games and most practice sessions so they can see where they need to focus – both individually and as a team.  Their weakness is the need to be “disciplined and mentally tough” so they can win every game, every time.  Taylor says, “We work hard every day, in the gym and in the classroom, to reach our full potential – and we won’t settle for anything less!”

The team will play a total of 53 games this season before leaving for nationals in early November.  Nationals will be held in Louisville, Ky.  “We believe we have the talent to win nationals,” Coach Crump said.  Teschler says, “We keep the mentality that although we’re not going to win nationals right now today, we can certainly lose it. Focusing on staying in the present and the games that are happening right at the moment help keep us pushing toward our goals.”

The Rochester College Women’s Volleyball team is ranked #1 in the coaches poll as of Oct. 10, 2011.

Photo by Rachel Grant