As the women’s volleyball team enters their fourth week of competitive play, a look at their record may offer a misleading picture of the team’s potential for success.  Their record stands at 6-7, with a string of recent losses negating several early wins.  Nevertheless, the exceptionally young team remains optimistic as they head into the conference season.

Senior Captain Erin Sherman is confident about the team’s potential.

“Although our record may not show it, we have been playing a lot of ranked teams and have done very well so far,” Sherman said.

A closer look at the Gusties’ record reveals the high level of the teams to which they’ve fallen.  The most recent tournament at UW-River Falls pitted the Gusties against UW-Whitewater, ranked 10th nationally among NCAA Division III teams, as well as UW-Steven’s Point, also on the national radar.

Earlier in the same week the Gusties faced St. Thomas in their home opener and first MIAC match on Gus Young Court, and put up a good fight, particularly in the first and third sets, but ultimately went 0-3 against the 8th-ranked team.

The team boasts a large number of new faces this year, with 12 first-years on the roster of 21 players.  The returning players also include very few upperclassmen, but Sherman remains optimistic.

“Our first years and sophomores all bring so much talent that it isn’t really anything we worry about,” Sherman said.  She credits the versatility of the players and their “incredible chemistry, both on and off the court,” as strengths of the team.

Senior captain Lisa Beacher also has high hopes for the rest of the season.

“I believe that as the season goes on, we will peak at just the right time and all our hard work will pay off generously,” Beacher said.

Beacher points to the team’s offensive strategy and tough serving as strengths.

“We also have a rare type of character on our team in that we respond well under pressure situations,” Beacher said.

The difficult schedule has not yet allowed these Gusties to shine, but upcoming matches against other MIAC schools should give the volleyball team a chance to improve both their overall and MIAC records.  “We are really looking forward to applying all that we have learned by playing big teams in tournaments to teams in our conference,” Beacher said.  The next match on September 19 will see the team facing St. Olaf in Northfield, followed by a home game against Macalester on September 22.