It’s common to walk past the courts inside Gleason and not be able to hear your conversation when the Sterling College volleyball team is training. They have taken the campus gyms by storm, training hours away with loud energy and positive vibes. Head Coach John Harding, who’s walking into his 14 season here at Sterling College, is more than ready to get the girls out on the court and kick off the season. “I think the biggest strength is that we are all on the same page. We’re working together to get better and players are encouraging and wanting their teammates to do well, and not just solely focus on themselves,” said Harding.
Last year, the volleyball team was cut short in the KCAC Conference opening round, placing tenth overall in the conference after losing to the Friends University Falcons in the Garvey Center. They ended with a record of 10-17 overall and 3-9 in the conference.
This year, the KCAC pre-season polls have marked Sterling in 12 place, just in front of York College and Tabor University. But that does not diminish the team’s determination for the season. In fact, according to sophomore setter Aubrey Young, it drives them even further to prove the polls wrong.“I’ve already seen the drive to quickly bounce back when things go wrong. We struggled with it last year and it shows how much we can and want to fix that this year,” said Young. The volleyball team went into six five-match games last season, many of which could have greatly altered their positioning of the season ranks. This year, the team is looking to finish those five-match games, and even win out with three-match games for better opportunities to reach the top. Senior Lindsey Kauffman, a defensive leader for the Warriors, believes that it’s possible to achieve with the team they have built in these past few weeks.“I want to win volleyball games on a deeper level. I want to be a leader and be a steady force. I prefer to be above the bar and be a vocal leader on the court and on the sideline,” said Kauffman. The volleyball girls have brought in 14 new players–making up half of the team altogether. With so many players and only six starting positions on the court, there is high intensity and competitive nature to each practice, but that doesn’t cost the team in any negative way. According to Kauffman, it actually makes the team stronger and builds a uniquely intense drive to each training. “The only thing I have noticed is getting all the newcomers integrated with the team. We lost a lot of varsity players last year from graduation. It’s going to be a process to get used to them and getting them prepped and ready for the season,” said Kauffman. Having so many new faces on the court isn’t a bad thing, as Young believes it brings a fresh and new kind of energy to each training. “Learning how everyone plays with each other and which girls play good next to each other and learning to over-communicate is everything, so that’s what we’re focusing on at practice,” said Young.Coach Harding agrees part of which he believes is due to a summer reading. ‘The Energy Bus’ by Jon Gordon is a handbook that teaches positive energy and how to recognize and cut out negative thinking in everyday life. Every player was required to highlight their favorite passages, and the team has already talked about the effects of the reading in team meetings. “We’ve talked about the book in team meetings, but I can hear players bring up major core parts of the book in practice. Players are referring back without the coaches’ pressure, and it shows how serious we are to put forth more positive thinking in our season,” said Harding. It’s a major difference compared to the previous season, as fifth-year senior Emily Peterson can tell that there is a better feeling to the teamwork and consistency out on the court. “This is the most cohesive thing I have felt in my entire experience as a volleyball athlete. We are all on each’s block and it’s going really nicely,” said Peterson.Using her COVID year to end her college career in a better swing, Peterson is looking forward to the potential of her team, despite her successes last year as a player. Peterson and graduated senior Jordyn Jellison were picked for KCAC All-Conference and NCCAA All-Central Region teams, but Peterson wants more. A lot of it has to do with the team bonding, initiated by both coach Harding and the players. “We’ve had lots of team bonding this week, most notably with the boats. Usually, we build boats out of cardboard and have the freshman ride them on Sterling Lake for as long as possible,” said Peterson. Not only has the team bonding worked to bring the team together, but the trainings have as well. With so many players and very few positions, Peterson said that while everyone is working for the same position, they are not working against each other in negative ways.
This is one of Harding’s biggest goals of the season: to have the team grow as one. “I think a lot of it is helping the team bond and grow. I want to grow with the team spiritually, mentally, and physically and have a good relationship with them outside of the court,” said Harding. You can watch the pre-season Media Day for volleyball on the KCAC Network Facebook where coach Harding discusses his goals and most impactful players of the season. Volleyball begins its pre-season games at the Manhattan Christian Tourney on August 25-26, where they’ll face off four opponents throughout the weekend. The conference begins September 13 against the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes. Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors’ live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.
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