March 14, 2011
It’s over. Basketball has officially come to an end. I struggle finding the words to describe what happened this past week because it was all so overwhelming. There are so many things that stand out in my mind. It’s hard to pick just a few to highlight.
Well, as everyone knows, we made it to the NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa. Being able to write that sentence is nothing but a gift that God gave us. We went into the tournament knowing that the only reason we were there was because God wanted us to be. We had done nothing to accomplish that feat. In fact, we had really done everything in our power NOT to go to the national tournament. But, we made it.
We held a worship service on Tuesday night before the opening banquet, and to our surprise, we had a large number of teams attend. It was such a blessing to share with sisters in Christ, as well as those who didn’t know Him. Aubrey’s testimony brought tears to many eyes. Christ truly shined through her, and He was glorified that night through her words. It was an awesome way to start the tournament for us.
Wednesday morning we got up, ate breakfast, and played Saint Francis at 8:30 in the morning. We were well prepared and knew that we had a good opportunity before us. We were a seven seed. They were a two seed. We weren’t supposed to win, but we did. In our minds, and in our hearts, we were no seven seed. Winning was just what we were supposed to do because God had blessed us with an opportunity that we would not waste. The celebration did not last long because we knew Friday’s game would be tough against a really gifted Ozarks team.
We got up again on Friday morning to play College of the Ozarks (a very gifted team). Winning this game was going to be an extremely difficult task. Again, we responded to the challenge. That game was so much fun to play. It was two good teams playing well and fighting until the final buzzer. We came out victorious and found ourselves in the Elite Eight. I want to pause and share a story that I have told many times since that game.
As Aubrey prayed, I realized that the girl from Ozarks was crying beside me. I began rubbing her hand and squeezing it, trying my very best to comfort her. What I didn’t realize was that she was whispering, “Praise Jesus, Thank you Jesus,” as Aubrey continued to pray. As I finally heard these phrases come from her mouth, I fought back tears myself. I thought, “This is what it’s all about.” Playing for Christ and thanking Him no matter the outcome. After everyone said “Amen,” I looked at this teary-eyed young woman and just hugged her. I was so blessed by this girl, and I hope that I get to tell her that one day.
So, we lost to a good team on Saturday afternoon. They are number one in the country for a reason. We struggled the whole game. That’s really all I want to say about that.
Our season has been an emotional roller coaster. There have been so many highs and lows. But, through it all, two things stand firm, our love for each other and our love for the Lord. This year has been the most fun I have ever had! I love each of my teammates so dearly! I can’t even begin to talk about our seniors because we are all going to miss them so greatly!
To Rachel, Lydia, Aubrey, Caitlyn:
We love you! You’re amazing! You’re going to be amazing no matter what you decide to do in life! Thank you for being such awesome examples to us on and off the basketball court!
To everyone else:
We’ll see ya next year!
March 7, 2011
I am currently sitting on a bus about an hour and half east of Des Moines, Iowa. Fields and fields of corn and other crops overwhelm our view on either side of the bus. We are making the long trek to Sioux City for the NAIA National Tournament. We stopped in Coralville, Iowa last night and got some much needed rest. Thinking back to everything that transpired this week, we all realize how blessed we are to even be here.
Our practices at the beginning of this week were spent simply going up and down the floor trying to keep everyone in shape and keep a ball in our hands. We had no idea where we would be headed this week. Not knowing was excruciating for all of us. We could not control our own fate, so all we did was sit and wait. Wednesday was an emotionally draining day. The first email that we got stated that our conference rater had placed us fourth. After hearing this, none of us were very hopeful. I went through my day assuming that we didn’t make it into the NAIA National Tournament. Then, around 4:30, I got another email while sitting in my Senior Research class. We were ranked 25th! I looked at my professor and said, “Is it okay if I cry?” I left the class with my heart beating out of my chest. I was so happy! All I wanted to do was hug my teammates at that moment. But, I had to wait a few more hours for that.
We sat and watched the selection show on Wednesday night. We got a #7 seed, and we play Saint Francis (Indiana) on Wednesday morning at 8:30 (CST). It was an amazing feeling to see “Cedarville” up there on the bracket! We did it!
Now, here we are, driving through desolate farming country somewhere in Iowa, excited for the opportunity that we have before us. This is our last year in the NAIA, and we pray that we use this experience to touch others’ for Christ’s sake! We want to share the Gospel in Sioux City one last time. Please pray that hearts would be opened.
WE’RE GOING TO SIOUX CITY! GO, JACKETS!
February 28, 2011
It has been an interesting week for us. We lost last Tuesday to Mount Vernon in the opening round of the AMC Tournament. This past week was far from basketball-filled, which to be honest, was a good thing for all of us. We practiced for an hour on Thursday and Friday, and we had Saturday off.
Friday, I walked into practice a little late because of a class. When I walked into the gym, the team was playing a shooting game. That practice consisted of us playing several games, going up and down the floor with a basketball for ten minutes, and finally, playing wiffle ball! It was a really fun practice! We all needed to just laugh and smile during a practice, and we certainly did that. Plus, we all enjoyed seeing Kayla hop up and down, as her eyes lit up, because Coach Flunker brought out Popsicles for us to eat! We all laughed so hard. Kayla is just too cute for words sometimes.
Now, we are all hanging by a thread. We have no idea what we’re practicing for, the NAIA National Tournament or the NCCAA National Tournament. The wait is killing all of us! This dark cloud is looming over all of us, as our fate lies in the hands of others. So, we will continue to practice and work hard. No matter where we go, we are determined to finish well and play hard for God’s glory! We can’t change anything. We can’t change losses from the past. All we can do right now is wait.
February 21, 2011
This past week was another tough one for our team. We had two home games. They were both dedicated to the fight against breast cancer. Most everyone has had some type of encounter or battle with this disease. It hits home for most of us, and we wanted to make sure that we spent this week focusing on that and praying for those who are continuing that battle today.
Tuesday we played Wilberforce at home and got a much needed win. We didn’t play particularly well, but a win is a win, so we were happy to take it.
Going into Saturday’s game, we knew that we had to win! It was Senior Night for us. The wonderful seniors that we honored have meant such a great deal to our program! They all are so loved and appreciated! They are amazing women that we all know will prove to be wonderful lights in this world wherever they may end up! We will miss them dearly next year, and I can’t tell how much we love them all!
Saturday’s game just didn’t go as planned. We played so well for the first twelve minutes or so. But, when it went bad, it went really bad. We just couldn’t pull ourselves out of a funk. We gave away a tough one by two points Saturday night. Now, our way to the NAIA National Tournament is becoming narrower and much more treacherous.
We will be playing Mount Vernon at home on Tuesday night in the opening round of the AMC Tournament. This is a do-or-die situation for us. If we win, we move on to play Daemen. If we lose, we’ll be planning a trip to Indiana to play in the regional of the NCCAA’s. This is it. The post-season is here, and the slate is clean. We either win or we lose now.
It’s as simple as that.
February 14, 2011
This past week was another long one for us, as we had three away games. The regular season is coming to a close, and we are all seeing the end looming over us. We wish to push that end back as much as possible. This week we needed three wins in order to continue doing that.
I got the stomach flu on Monday, so I failed to make it to the game on Tuesday at Ursuline. All that I can say is, it was miserable having to sit and listen to that game from my dorm room! From what everyone else said, it was poorly played. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I know that we must have really struggled against a team that we had previously beaten by 49. I am simply thankful that we made it through that game at all.
Thursday we played at Notre Dame College. It was a fight from the start. That little gym sounded like it had thousands of people in it when in reality; there were only a few hundred at best. The game came down to the last possession. We put the ball in the hands of our very capable freshman point guard, Kayla Jenerette, who did things as well as she could have. Kayla penetrated my side of the floor, her shot fell short (she actually got pretty hammered), Aubrey picked up the loose ball, and she made the shot at the buzzer! It was a crazy way to win, but it was sure exciting!
Saturday, we traveled to Mount Vernon. We were beaten and bruised, and we knew we would be a part of another battle that day. The beginning of the game was embarrassing, as we fell behind by almost twenty. We scraped our way back to cut it to eight at halftime. We finally regained the lead in the second half, but it came down to freshness. They converted shots late, and we didn’t. We just lost our legs. Mount Vernon played well and simply beat us. It was a really tough game to lose and a really difficult time.
This week is Breast Cancer Awareness Week! We are at home against Wilberforce on Tuesday and Notre Dame on Saturday. I want to invite everyone out! Wear pink and see the really nice pink uniforms that Coach Flunker and Coach Travis picked out for us! They’re sweet! Hopefully we can all come together and support those in our university family, as well as those outside of it, who have battled or who are battling this disease! May God bless any family that has been affected by breast cancer, and may they cling to Him always! Think Pink!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
February 7, 2011
This past week was a long one for our team. We were supposed to go to Malone on Tuesday, but the ice hit Cedarville pretty hard on Monday night preventing that from happening. So, we got a day of rest and another day to practice. Not only did they postpone the game on Tuesday, but they also cancelled classes the next day because of the weather. We all got to enjoy a nice relaxing day without school. It was certainly a wonderful snow day!
We traveled to Malone on Thursday for the make-up game without the men. We really wanted to make a statement with this game. We had been clawing our way out of a slump for weeks. Playing well as a unit was difficult, and we were trying to fix that. So, Thursday, playing well was a must. The game started off okay, but we struggled defending the first half tremendously. They got easy looks at the basket, and that’s just not good enough. But, we came out of things with a win, and we were able to start looking to Saturday’s game with Roberts Wesleyan.
Roberts Wesleyan was long and athletic. They play physical, which tends to bother us. They grabbed fourteen offensive rebounds in the first half alone. We went into the locker room knowing that if we didn’t defend or rebound, we would find ourselves losing another game. The first part of the second half we built up a lead, but they again clawed their way back into the game, actually taking a two-point lead later in the half. But, we executed a little better at the end of the game and came away with another win.
This next week is going to be long and hard for us. We are away Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. None of the games from here on out are easy. They are all must-wins. We cannot afford to lose another game. If we do, we may find ourselves watching the NAIA National Tournament rather than playing in it. We have a lot of work to do before Nationals can become a reality.
January 31, 2011
Last week, we faced Wittenberg on Tuesday, Houghton on Friday, and Daemen on Saturday. We needed to have a good week in order to still have hopes of winning the conference.
Well, we had an okay week, and now, our chances of winning the conference are slim. We beat Wittenberg on Tuesday night, but we really didn’t play all that well to do so. But, it was a win, and it’s always better to win than to lose.
Thursday we left for New York to play at Houghton and Daemen. These games were must wins for us. We battled at Houghton, as we never lost the lead, but we found ourselves on our heels several times during the game. We finally prevailed in that game by the skin of our teeth. Winning Friday was huge for us. We needed a win going into Saturday’s matchup against Daemen.
Saturday we knew we had to play with a great deal of urgency. I believe we did that well for most of the game. We found ourselves leading by seven with less than five minutes to go. But, things began to unravel. There were a couple of tough calls that went their way, and we didn’t make great decisions with the basketball when we needed to. We lost that game in heartbreaking fashion and found ourselves wondering how it happened. Saturday’s game stung. Now, we are back on our heels, and we’re looking at having to win the conference tournament for a trip to the national tournament.
I believe in my team. I believe in who we are as a team and who we all are as individuals. I believe that we are just as good as any team in the nation in the NAIA. Now, we need to prove that.
January 24, 2011
This past week was a difficult week for us. I honestly struggled thinking about writing this week’s blog. I knew that I would have to replay games that I really didn’t want to, but I know that it’s good to learn from everything that transpired this past week.
Tuesday we played Hillsdale and just really didn’t play well. They simply executed better than us in all areas. They defended us well, and we failed to defend the way that we should have. We just didn’t do well focusing on the little things during the Hillsdale game. We didn’t deserve to win that game.
Friday night kicked off a long weekend for us, as we started Alumni Weekend. We played Carlow and played pretty well. It was nice to get a solid win before going into Saturday’s game against Walsh. It wasn’t an incredibly exciting game because it wasn’t close, but like I said, it was nice to get a win.
There was a lot happening on Saturday afternoon and evening for us. We had the opportunity to interact with those women who came before us. It was exciting to get to see all of them play. Our team split up and helped cheer for our respective alumni teams. Our team may have won, and Coach Flunker and Stacie’s team may have lost J We also got to sit down and eat with everyone after the game, and it was really nice to sit down and converse with the alumni. I hope that I come back soon with my little ones running around, and I certainly hope that I am as successful as these women have become.
That night we played Walsh at home. We all knew that it would be an emotionally charged game, but I don’t believe that we mentally prepared ourselves totally. They came in and just outplayed us. It’s that simple. They were better than us that night, and we simply got beat. It was an awful feeling to lose a conference game on our home floor. I still can’t stop replaying it in my mind.
We need to spend this week getting back on the winning track. We have another long week with three games again. But, this week will actually be a little longer. We play Wittenberg at home on Tuesday. Then, we travel to New York to take on Houghton and Daemen. We really need to win all of our games this week! It’s incredibly important to win all three of these upcoming games. Hopefully we cam mentally prepare for the task that is now at hand.
January 17, 2011
This past week ended up being pretty low key for us. All of the other students returned to campus, which reminded us all that it was time for another semester. This week was the first week of classes, so it was a little stressful. The first week of classes is always stressful in some ways. But, we all made it through.
Tuesday we were supposed to play at Notre Dame, but a large and badly-timed snowstorm hit Cedarville and the rest of the state. We got a text early that morning saying that we were leaving a half an hour early. Then, we got another text saying that we should bring extra clothes in case we got stuck in Cleveland. Last, we got a text saying that the game had been postponed. It was a crazy day. I had to run back to my room, grab my books, and go to my afternoon class that I had originally intended to miss. We ended up getting the day off, so we all enjoyed the extra time to attend class and rest.
Saturday we traveled to Pittsburgh to take on Point Park. We knew that it was a difficult place to play. Other teams had struggled to play well there before us. We wanted to simply come in and play well initially. Well, that didn’t quite work out. The first half was atrocious. We struggled defending a great deal. We were down nine at halftime, and we went into the locker room frustrated. Determined to win the game, we came out in the second half and played really well. We held them to 16 points in the entire second half. We hung tough and won the game. It was big win for us. All five starters ended up in double figures. It was a well-balanced effort.
Now we are preparing for a busy week. Three tough games await us this week. We know we need to play well to win every game. We look forward to alumni weekend and getting to spend time with the players that came before us!
January 10, 2011
This past week allowed our team to spend even more time together, as we were here on campus basically alone. We ate dinner at several different homes throughout the week. We had our Christmas dinner on Thursday, despite the little bit of snow that we got. It was fun to see all of the gifts that everyone had gotten. Spending time with the team is always fun and enjoyable, but I believe we are now all ready to get back into the routine of a new semester.
Tuesday night we played Mount Vernon at home. We knew that it was going to be a competitive game. Mount Vernon always has talented teams. We won handily, but I don’t believe any of us expected that outcome. Getting conference wins is so vital to our post-season hopes. We need to win our conference to get to the national tournament. Every game counts now. We enjoyed getting to eat dinner with their team after the game. We got to pray with them. One of their player’s (Amanda Himes) mom is battling cancer, and we wanted to make sure that she knew we were praying for her and her mom fervently.
Saturday was a game that we really wanted to repay an early loss to Urbana. We hadn’t played well at Urbana early on in the season, and we knew we had to prove that we were a different team. The game didn’t really go that well, but we ended up winning by 20. It’s always an interesting feeling after not playing very well but winning fairly easily. We were really glad to simply get a win.
This next week will be tough for us. We have two games on the road at Notre Dame College and Point Park. Both teams are scary and good enough to beat us. We need to simply be us and play to our strengths. Hopefully we’ll come away with another undefeated week.
January 3, 2011
The past two weeks have been quite eventful, as we went home to see our families and have Christmas in our respective homes and traveled to Florida to compete in a holiday tournament at Northwood University in West Palm Beach. We were thankful to have a week off, but we were so excited to get to play and spend time together in Florida.
We met at school and practiced the 27th of December before flying out that evening from Indianapolis into Orlando. We got to our hotel late enough that night that everyone went straight to bed, so our first night in Florida wasn’t that exciting. The next day, we practiced and prepared for both Albany College of Pharmacy and Bethel. Both were going to be good competition for us after being off for so long.
We played Albany Pharmacy on Wednesday, and we didn’t play very well defensively early, but we finally came around and took care of business later on in the first half. It was good to get the first win. That night, Coach Martin met with us to talk about Bethel. Bethel was going to be a really strong opponent. We knew we had to really play well to win on Thursday. Coach was serious and as direct as he could be about the talent and ability that Bethel had, so we went into Thursday’s game ready to play.
The first few minutes were a struggle. We found ourselves in a little bit of a hole. But, we climbed our way out of it. Scoring was not our issue against Bethel. Our goal was to stop their main scorers and shooters. For the most part, we did a good job of that. We held a four-point lead at the half. The second half was a game of runs, just like the first. Our runs just lasted a little longer. We shot the ball lights out throughout the whole game and made clutch free throws down the stretch to win by six. Several people watching the game commented that it was the most exciting women’s game they had ever seen. That may have been due to the 60% shooting from behind the three-point line, and the 94-88 final score. It was an exciting game to be a part of, and we are all glad that we were on the winning end of it.
Friday we practiced in the morning, and then went to the beach for the day. It was an awesome time to just hang out with teammates. Then, Coach Flunker and Coach Travis designed a scavenger hunt for us while we were at Downtown Disney on New Year’s Eve. It was a blast running around and through thousands of people trying to find and do ridiculous things! We are all competitive, so each team was running around and wearing themselves out! It was so much fun! It wore us out so much that we decided to go back to our hotel and watch the ball drop from there. We were all together, and that’s what mattered to us.
We spent more time in the Orlando airport than we had anticipated on Saturday. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:15 in the evening, but we didn’t leave Orlando until eleven or so. Finding ways to entertain ourselves wasn’t terribly hard, though. Several little boys threw a football around with us and played with us. It was fun to see them laugh and play after such a long day in an airport. Our team certainly enjoyed the time there, despite getting back to our dorms at four in the morning. It was a long day, but we made it back safe and sound.
Despite our sunburns and tired bodies, we will now prepare for our conference play starting this Tuesday against Mount Vernon Nazarene. These games are more important than any other. They are our ticket to Sioux City!
December 20, 2010
This week was pretty uneventful for us. We all took finals, so we were pretty stressed as a team. We were also still recovering from a lot of sickness. I, myself, spent a few days in bed at the beginning of the week. It went through most of us on the team, with an exception of a lucky few. Practice this week was short, but we worked hard during the time we were in the gym. We needed a good week of practice to prepare to play against a very athletic and skilled Saint Francis team.
We knew that it would be difficult to win a game directly following a stressful week, but we had prepared well, and our practices were intense and went really well throughout the week. We were confident going into Saturday’s game.
Before talking about our game on Saturday, I really want to describe an experience that we all had on Friday night that touched all of our hearts. We sponsored a family for Christmas who is really struggling, not only financially, but also physically. When we began this project, we never imagined the magnitude that it would reach. We raised a great deal more than we ever dreamed possible! We are so thankful to everyone who helped or donated money to this cause! We were able to do several different things for this family: including buying several gifts for all three children, some small gifts for the parents, and new tires for their car. We spent Friday night delivering the gifts to the family’s home. All of the children were just as happy as any other little ones. It was a blessing to us to be able to make a family’s Christmas just a little bit better. But, more than anything, we were able to share Christ’s love with them. We stressed that we can’t give them anything that even compares to the free gift of salvation! All we wanted was to show Christ’s love to this family in need, and it turned out, that we all saw Christ’s love, as this family humbled us. We pray that they have a wonderful Christmas!
The game on Saturday means very little compared to Friday night’s activities. But, we came in knowing that it was an important game for us. We found out early on Saturday that Kayla was sick, so we all had to change our mind-sets to play a little more than anticipated. Kayla was dearly missed, but she’s feeling much better now and enjoying her time at home! We all love that girl so much, and we know how badly she wants to play every game! So, we went out and played well! We defended really well the second half! Lydia scored her 1,000th point! Congrats Lyd, we love you! And, we found out that Aubrey had gotten her 1,000th rebound a few games before, which is amazing! We love you, too, Aubs! We got a really good win against Saint Francis on Saturday. Now, we are focusing on spending time with the people who matter most in our lives. We are home, but we can’t wait to have some fun in the sun! Florida here we come!
Merry Christmas all!!!
December 13, 2010
This week we won three road games to push our winning streak to six! We played at Wilberforce on Tuesday and won. Wilberforce is always a difficult place to play. We really struggled as a team during the Wilberforce game. We just couldn’t seem to find a rhythm to anything really, and we gave up an atrocious amount of offensive rebounds and dribble penetration.
Despite playing pretty poorly on Tuesday, we went into the game on Thursday with a lot of confidence. We played at Taylor on Thursday. Even though several teammates feeling sick, we made it through and actually played pretty well. We won by 21, and did some really good things during that game. But, we knew that we had another tough one on Saturday at Huntington.
Making two trips to Indiana in three days is never fun. But, you add on top of that the sickness that our team was dealing with, and it makes it that much more difficult. Deborah was sick with strep throat and didn’t even make the trip. Aubrey made the trip, but didn’t play because she felt so awful. Becky was sick, but didn’t tell anyone. Heidi was recovering from being sick. Both Jenna’s had hurt their knees. So, we played the game with eight people. We thought we had it bad until we realized that Huntington was only playing with five girls because of disciplinary reasons.
They played really well, and we were simply terrible. We struggled through the entire game, but we came out with a win. Even though it was an ugly win - it was a win just the same.
This next week we will be focused on getting everyone healthy and through finals week. We have a big game Saturday at home against St. Francis, so we need to be healthy for that one.
December 6, 2010
Both games this week were wins for us. Tuesday, we played Malone at home. We played an awful first half, and decided to play well the second, so we ended up winning fairly handily. Then, Saturday, we beat Ursuline at home, as well. The first half against Ursuline was probably one of the best halves we have played all year.
It was fun to play so well, but it was even more fun to watch everyone else play well! Coach tells us all the time that the day that we can be happier for our teammates is the day that we’re going to be scary good. Saturday night we did a good job of that, but now, we just need to consistently be good at that.
Consistency seems to be a big issue this year and a topic of several lectures and conversations. We know how good we can be when we decide to do the little things right and play well. But, we also know how bad we can be when we decide to lose our minds on the floor. When we’re bad, we stop stressing the fundamentals and do little things badly. We have to be able to do the little things consistently before we can play well consistently, and that’s what we’re working on in practice.
This coming week will be trying because we have three game, all of which are away. Two of the games are against nationally ranked opponents. It will be a long, hard week for all of us, but we are preparing for it mentally, physically, and emotionally. We’ll be ready to play well and play well consistently.
November 29, 2010
We went to Ohio Dominican last Tuesday night with the intent to fix the problems that had hindered the start to our year so drastically. Well, we struggled throughout the entire game. We couldn’t seem to run an offense and find offensive continuity, and we struggled guarding them. We gave up several three point looks, especially early in the game. We just couldn’t find a rhythm on either end of the floor.
Despite our struggles, we found ourselves clawing our way back into the game. We gave ourselves a great chance to win the game late. But, I let their point guard past me with a few seconds on the clock, and she scored the last two points of the game. I was devastated that I hadn’t done the one job that was assigned to me during that possession. I was so disappointed in myself. It was a team effort, and I understand that, but it is always extremely hard to finish the game with something so negative.
Thanksgiving break started for us after that game. I went home to my family directly from the game. Thanksgiving break was a difficult one for me. I would be writing about a game in Michigan, but regretfully, I was not at the game on Saturday night. On Thanksgiving Day, my grandfather passed away, and the viewing was scheduled for Saturday. I missed being with my team, but I was where I needed to be. I needed to be with my family.
The most important thing that I want to convey through this week’s blog is that my team supported me through the entire ordeal over Thanksgiving break. Coach has been using the term “family” a great deal lately. I was bombarded with text messages and emails that were all promises of prayer. My team supported me through a difficult situation, and I was so grateful to them. I am truly part of a “family.” I am part of a wonderful family, and I am so blessed to have every one of my teammates in my life.
November 22, 2010
Last week we got a huge win at Findlay. We came into the game with a desire to win that we hadn’t had yet. The second half was the best basketball that we have played yet! It was wonderful to go to the locker room after the game and scream and yell in celebration! Coach Flunker wrote one question on the board, “How does that feel?” We all smiled and screamed some type of adjective that was related to “amazing.” It was awesome to play so well as a unit that night. We felt in sync, and because of that, we felt invincible! Maybe that’s what led to Saturday’s loss against Urbana.
The practices after the Findlay game seemed flat and lacked intensity. We failed to build upon the intensity and cohesiveness that was shown during the game against Findlay. When we started the game on Saturday, it was evident that it was going to be a struggle. We all struggled through difficult points in the game. We failed to pick each other up like we should have. That was the first time that we really had gotten out-worked. They simply played harder than we did. We lost sight of what makes great teams so great, the little things. Coach Flunker asked us the same question she asked us after the Findlay game, “how does that feel?” We all just looked around with sad expressions on our faces and realized that we needed to fix things, and we needed to fix things now.
We still have another tough one in front of us, so the hard stretch isn’t over. We play at Ohio Dominican on Tuesday evening, and we all want so desperately to play well and play well together, as a unit. These are some of the most wonderful women I have ever known, and we all want so badly to be successful, not only as individuals, but be successful as a unit as well! We will fix the problems that need fixing, and we will be ready for Tuesday!
November 15, 2010
Our team spent this entire past week preparing for our opening tournament. Our coaches’ intensity levels went up dramatically, and we could feel how tense everyone was becoming. We all simply just wanted to play. We wanted to find out exactly where we were as a team.
The weekend showed us several things, but most of all, it showed us that we have the opportunity to be a special team. We beat Northwestern Ohio, and we played well in that first game. It was fun to play and shoot as well as we did. But, we lost to Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday after having the lead at halftime. We simply stopped doing the little things, and in Coach Flunker’s words, “we stopped playing smart.”
We are a young team that is going to continue to get better as the season goes along, and like I said earlier, we now know just how good we can be. That’s exciting to all of us. Even though the loss hurt, we learned some things about each other in that game. We will continue to work hard through this next week to get some wins. It doesn’t get any easier for the next few games. Our next three games are against NCAA Division II teams, so we’re going to have to play well, but we’ll make it.
Our team has to learn to be resilient when things get hard, and we will do that as the season goes on. Our freshmen will continue to get better and grow, as we need them to desperately. And, the upperclassmen will also grow and get better with them, as we have to do also. We’re going to grow and mature as a unit, and we’re going to be exciting to watch once that happens!
November 9, 2010
When you walk into one of our practices, it may look like a typical practice, but to be honest, we work harder than anyone else out there. Right now, playing hard isn’t our problem. We have been working on how to play "smart" lately. Our motto this year is "Hard. Smart. Together." We certainly have some work to do in all of those areas before our first game on Friday.
I love my team this year, and we are fighting to make ourselves better. I have never encountered a better group of women. The competitiveness is fierce once we step across those lines. We go at each other and beat each other up. We make each other better. But, once we get into the locker room, we all get along. We all love each other dearly. Lydia sings random songs on one side, while Deborah and Heidi sing two other songs elsewhere. Our locker room is like constantly pressing the scan button on a radio, but it always makes things fun and interesting.
I’ve never met a group of young women who love to laugh like my teammates. Most of us love to take jabs at each other, but the best part is, our teammates love to laugh and jab back. I think these things will be our biggest assets this year. Our love of laughter, each other, and the Lord are going to make our year a special one.
We know that we have tough tests early in Northwestern Ohio, Indiana Wesleyan, Findlay, Urbana, and Ohio Dominican, but we’re up to the challenge. We’re very aware of how tough our first five games are, and we are preparing accordingly. I assure you, we will be ready for those games.
We have seniors and upperclassmen leading our team to the best of their ability, and we have freshmen who are verbal, confident, yet, humble and respectful. We will be successful this year, and I believe it’s going to be an exciting ride for all of us. I can’t wait to kick the season off with a bang!
Kara Cayton is a 5-foot-4 junior guard from South Webster, Ohio. She has two years of varsity experience with an academic major in organizational communications.
