Leadership Leads To Championships

In this new era of UB Athletics, we are seeing a large focus of energy on striving to reach the next level of success as athletes. This year, our fall sports have all stepped up to accomplish new feats, and the Volleyball team overcame adversity to accomplish some remarkable successes. From their impressive pre-season wins of both the USF and UIC tournaments to their trip to the MAC Tournament, these ladies were relentless all season long. One of the biggest challenges that the Volleyball Team faced this season was its youth. Although these young players are indisputably talented, “down the stretch of games we had some situations where experienced players had the upper hand,” adding a challenge at the end of what are already extremely difficult matches. The transition to a college sport is a hard one, especially when the team refers to their athlete status as a full time job. They say the time commitment becomes much more than what their coach requires of them. The little things they do on their own to remain one of the most competitive teams in the Conference add up, and “you can't just turn your brain off when the game or practice is over”. As a freshman at a Division 1 level, this can be overwhelming.

To counter this disadvantage, the older ladies on the team have had to step up their leadership roles. This means more responsibility, but it also affords the seasoned veterans a chance to shape mature, savvy, successful competitors that will represent UB for the next three years. The captains take this job seriously, focusing on being positive and thus spreading positivity both on and off the court. Their leadership seems to have helped the younger players, who they say have done an excellent job of “stepping up and working hard in their roles”. There is no doubt this is true, since the team competed this past weekend in the MAC Tournament. None of the girls on the team had ever been before, so, despite having to leave a day early in order to ensure a timely arrival due to weather, these girls were thrilled to have the experience. These athletes are “starting a tradition of going every year and competing,” which makes the team very proud. Their competitive and exciting play has drawn larger and larger numbers of student athletes to games over the past few years, one team member has noticed. This year’s Volleyball team boasts higher attendance, elevated success on the court, a phenomenal coach, motivated leaders, and talented players. When you take all of these factors into consideration, it is no wonder the team is one of the best in school history. It has been exciting watching this team work to raise themselves to a new level this year, and the leadership is undoubtedly going to lead to championships.

To learn more about the Volleyball team’s season, or to hear about our other athletic team successes, Like the Bulls Pride page on Facebook. Also, Follow @UB_BullsPride on Twitter and Instagram.