The UW-Whitewater  women’s club volleyball team ended the UW-Whitewater conference tournament Saturday, March 2, with a loss against UW-Stevens Point in the semifinal match of the gold bracket. This was their fifth loss of the season.

The Pointers defeated the Warhawks in the first set 25-18 while the Warhawks came back in the second set with a 25-24 victory. The Warhawks dropped the third set 15-9.

This was in apparent contrast to one of the Warhawks previous matches against the Pointers in early February which ended in the Warhawks winning 25-21 in the first set and 25-15 in the second.

While this outcome came as an obvious disappointment to both spectators and players alike, no one could deny that the Warhawks gave it their all and ended strong against the Pointers. Emma Dierenger, setter for the Warhawks, expressed such sentiment.

“I’m proud of the team, we worked hard, we tried our best, and I’m just glad we kept going,” Dierenger said.

The impact of communication and teamwork on the Warhawks performance was vital to the game.

“We practice two to three times a week and we have a tournament every week – we understand how the hitters work, how people pass, and people’s strong suits. I think today we really gave people their full potential and allowed people to just try their best,” Dierenger said.

She went on to add that being vocal was a vital part of performing as a team and found that as soon as members started talking and cheering each other on, “it really helped pick up momentum and we ended up winning games that we did not think we were going to.”

This position was prevalent among other teams, including the Pointers. Ali Buchta and Dalney Romanowich, both players for the Pointers, both expressed their positive views and overall belief in their team.

Romanowich stated that she tends to become nervous before a tournament when it comes to her performance, but added, “I trust my team a lot, so I was pretty confident going into the pool play.”

“I think we’re a pretty positive team – we don’t go into anything thinking the worst – we’re always trying to start off being pumped-up,” Buchta said.

They added that being close as a team, both on and off of the court, helps with overall performance. According to Buchta, “We’re all like one big happy family.”

Perhaps this sense of comradery and connection comes at a very important point considering that the state tournament is approaching. When asked what she was hoping to gain from the conference, besides a victory, Romanowich said, “I am hoping that it is getting us ready for state and nationals, this is our last tournament before state.” 

With state arriving April 5 and nationals following sometime in late April, it is no surprise that everyone is thinking about their performance moving forward and what they can do as a team to improve. The championships will be held at the Milwaukee Sting Center.