A losing team with a winning mindset
A group of Bethel University students give their all during their third intramural volleyball game, hoping to get their first win.
By Sadie Buteyn and Lily Noonan
The black, white and gray volleyball hit the floor and that was it. The game was over. The Big Dawgz had lost their third consecutive game of the spring intramural season. After congratulating their opponents, senior Alex Mecicar started a high-five line, and his teammate freshman Elliana Leach, went down the line congratulating the team and telling her teammate Izzy Balvin, “We are getting better and better each time.”
“You got dog in you. Rough, rough.” — Anna Pearson, Big Dawgz captain
At 11:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Robertson Center Gym at Bethel University, Izzy Balvin of the Big Dawgz served to start the game and scored the first point with an ace. They kept a small lead until the opposing team, the Goon Squad, started to score points with powerful hits — The Big Dawgz struggling to receive the ball. When the Big Dawgz were trailing behind for a few points, teammates Alex Mecicar and Eliana Leach both dove for the ball and bumped into each other causing them to lose a point, but Leach said, “I’m sorry, we got this next time,” and they moved on.
During the first set, Captain Anna Pearson clapped from the sideline when the team scored, and yelled at the team, saying, “you got dog in you. Ruff, ruff.”
At the end of the first set, the Big Dawgz, and the Goon Squad were tied 25 to 25.
The Big Dawgz scored the last two points — 27 to 25. Their first set win of the season. Pearson threw her arms in the air, while Keegan Barrett and Blake Botteril chest-bumped, and Kettly Brushaber and Izzy Balvin jumped and clapped.
The Big Dawgz lost the next two sets, losing the match overall, but even after the losses their spirits remained unbroken. The Big Dawgz refused to let the defeat overshadow what they had accomplished. Instead, they focused on the ways that they could improve, both in skill and as a team.
Freshman Blake Botterill talked about how he thought that the team’s serves were a lot better than last time. He also mentioned that they still need to work on communication while on the court.
Teammate Kettly Brushaber agreed they needed to have more communication during games, specifically realizing where their space is, and not getting in each other’s space as much.
Even after the game was over, the Big Dawgz weren’t ready to call it a night. They stayed in the gym and scrimmaged with their previous opponents, not letting their loss affect their attitude or their team dynamic. Although they were currently 0 for 3, they were already looking forward to their fourth match on April 8.
