The UW-Whitewater men’s soccer team might not be off to as hot of a start as last season, but their mentality shows that they have a bright season ahead. Senior goalkeeper Matthew Vollmer is a great representation of that mindset.
After sitting behind several veteran goalkeepers for his first three years as a Warhawk, he sits with a current starting record of 4-1-1, letting five goals through on top of 17 saves. On top of that, he’s already started more games this season than the three seasons prior.
Vollmer sat down with the Royal Purple to discuss his journey as Warhawk, how important his mentors are to him, and more.
Q: What are your emotions like now that you are a senior?
A: It’s gone by super fast. When I was a freshman, all of the seniors say don’t take it for granted, it goes by super fast. And I never really listened to them. But here I am as a senior, it’s already here. It shows the culture that we’ve built, and when we pass it on to our younger generations and teammates.
Q: Is there one moment, or several moments, that stand out as some of your favorites as a Warhawk?
A: It’s so fun to be together with [the team] and travel to fun places. In the past, we’ve gone to Virginia, Maryland, and last year we got the opportunity to go to Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz trip [was my favorite] because it was so far away and it’s an awesome place. We were staying right on the beach, got to play beach volleyball, got to play a couple rounds of golf, it was just so much fun. The biggest part of it is doing everything together. It’s a family atmosphere that we’ve built around the team and we all have huge love and respect for each other.
Q: What improvements have you made since joining the Warhawks in 2021?
A: During my freshman year, I was lowest on the totem pole. We had guys that we’re 24, 23 years old on the team, and I’m just an 18-year-old out of high school. It was definitely hard to boss them around a little bit as a goalie; you need to be super vocal and always be communicating with your team. Don’t be afraid to yell at them. As a freshman going out there with guys six years older than me, it was pretty tough. The growing confidence throughout the years and being able to feel as a figure that people can look up to and respect, I feel like it’s been huge.
Q: What kind of mentor has assistant coach and former UWW goalkeeper Duncan Morgan been to you?
A: Duncan might have been the greatest mentor to possibly have. He’s always so upbeat and positive. He’ll shoot you straight, he’ll tell you what you need to do, and he’ll tell you what you did wrong. He’ll tell you how it is. I think that’s huge to always be open to his thoughts and opinions, to always be able to grow as a teammate and a player. Off the field, he’s a great dude. You can tell that he cares about you more as a person than as a player. Everyone respects him.
Q: Do you have any personal goals for the rest of the 2024 season?
A: One of our biggest goals as a team is to allow no goals. If we don’t allow any goals, we can’t lose, simple as that. I would love to have more clean sheets. I feel like I haven’t done a great job so far keeping the ball out of the back of the net. The biggest thing for me is going in there and having the confidence to put up a clean sheet, and that should result in some good things for us. We have a bright season ahead of us.
Vollmer and the Warhawks play away games against Fontbonne (Missouri) and Edgewood in Madison before returning to Fiskum Field Oct. 1 for the Duhawk Cup against Loras College (Iowa).
