Back on track at Saint Joe's

Last night, our team finished off a three set victory over Saint Joseph's College of Maine! We played much better than we have in the past two weeks, as we push towards the end of the season. The mid-October stretch is always a difficult one and, combining that with matches against some top-notch teams, we struggled to mark tallies in the win column. Yesterday's win showed our endurance and our determination to finish the season on a positive note. I challenged our team to step up in this last week and I'm proud of the way they responded in practice on Monday and in last night's match.

Saturday marks our last match of the season and an opportunity to honor our two seniors, sisters Claudia and Andrea Amado! We hope to send them out in style with a strong showing against conference foe Western New England University at 1 pm.

Homecoming weekend a success!

This weekend was a celebration and a reunion, as Gordon celebrated Homecoming and Family Weekend. We had several volleyball events going on, that allowed our team to join in the spirit of the festivities.

On Friday night, we hosted our alumni game, which pitted recent alumni against the current team. I was very excited that several alumni came from so far away to play with us! We welcomed back Meredith Phipps, Leah Chamberlain (soon to be Brooks), Cherisa Fee (soon to be Ellis), Jessica Taber, and Megan Spurgin. Our two assistant coaches, Heidi Hakes and Jeren Lanoue, both Gordon grads, rounded out the alumni team. The current Gordon team edged the alumni team in our 3-set match.

Saturday was a success as well, as we claimed a win over Salem State 3-1 in the morning. Our match was followed by a reception for parents and alumni that allowed all of us some time to reconnect. Most of the girls on the team spent the afternoon supporting the men's soccer team in their conference victory over Salve Regina. The soccer team has been a vocal presence at our matches this year and we were glad to return the favor!

It was wonderful to have a weekend devoted to celebrating and reconnecting with the friends and family that are so supportive of Gordon volleyball. Thank you for being part of our community!

Gordon stays strong for win against Suffolk

Yesterday was an exciting match for us! After tough conference losses on the road to Roger Williams and University of New England, we bounced back to defeat Suffolk at home 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 26-24). I was particularly happy with the mental aspect of our game last night. Each of the sets was close and our team worked hard to stay focused and communicate well through every point. We also had some great support from our home crowd, particularly the men's soccer team.

This game was also designated as our Free2Play game. This year, our team has been partnering with Free2Play and Not For Sale, an organization that fights human trafficking in all its forms. Free2Play believes that all children should have the right to rest and leisure. Unfortunately, children who are victims of human trafficking are deprived of this right. Our team decided to partner with Free2Play this season by pledging a donation of $1 per team member for every set win and an additional dollar for every match win. We've already raised several hundred dollars, which will go towards recreational programs for children who have been rescued out of slavery. You can learn more about Free2Play and Not For Sale and find ways to get involved on their website.

Gordon grabs first conference win against Curry

Last week was a busy one, with four matches total (Eastern Connecticut, Curry, Roger Williams and Coast Guard). After our loss to Eastern Connecticut on Tuesday, we bounced back to beat Curry College in 3 sets, claiming our first TCCC victory of the season. Curry made a run at the second set but I was proud of the way our girls closed the match out.

The weekend provided a chance to test ourselves against some very strong competition. Roger Williams is the reigning TCCC champion and Coast Guard Academy is the reigning NEWMAC champion and went to the second round of the NCAA tournament last year. Needless to say, they are both top notch teams. We lost both matches but we played scrappy defense and continued to improve our serve receive. All in all, it was a good weekend for us.

Tonight we play at University of New England in another TCCC match-up. You can follow the live stats or live video on UNE's website. Go Scots!

Gordon falls to ECSU

Lauren Kranyak receives the serve.

On Tuesday night, our team played a hard fought match at home against a tough ECSU team. After losing the first two sets, we were able to come back and take the third but dropped the fourth set and consequently, the match (15-25, 19-25, 25-23, 14-25).

This match was a good measuring stick for us. Last year, we played ECSU on their home court and lost 3-1. It was one of our all-around better matches of the season. Even though the score was the same this year, the improvement that our team has made since last season was evident, even to the opposing head coach, as he commented after the match.

So while we have come a long way, we still know that we are capable of being a better team than we were on Tuesday night. Specifically this week in practice, we're working on out of system offense and decision making. Striving for our potential and seeing how much better we can become are exciting motivators! Tonight we take on Curry College at 7 pm in a home conference match. We'd love to see you there!

Gordon volleyball conquers Vermont

For the second year in a row, our team has traveled to Vermont for the Green Mountain Invitational. It has been a good opportunity for team bonding and allows us to see the beautiful mountains and fall colors. We won the invitational for the second year in a row, beating Saint Joseph's College of Brooklyn and Green Mountain College in 3 sets each. I was proud of our confident play and the way we encouraged each other this weekend.

Stopping at Hathaway Farm in Rutland, VT was one of the highlights of this trip. The farm boasts the biggest corn maze in Vermont, a barn full of animals, tetherball, and rubber duckie races. Our team enjoyed all aspects of the farm, as you can see below. :)

The entire team at the beginning of the corn maze

A laughter-filled tetherball game

 Cornfield and mountains - Vermont is beautiful!

Claudia and Martyna petting the pygmy goats

Joy found a friend!

Yes, we enjoyed ourselves. :)

Gordon beats Regis, begins conference play

Last week, we played a pair of challenging matches that tested our character and endurance. First we played Regis on Wednesday. We won the first two sets but then Regis, rallied by their raucous fan base, came back to win the next two. I was proud of the effort our team demonstrated in the fifth set, making some good decisions at key points to pull out the set and match win.

Kranyak attacks the ball while Chelsie Clemens covers.

 
On Saturday, our team started conference play with a match against Salve Regina. They are always a tough, aggressive opponent and we were looking forward to playing them. Our strong serving kept them out of system for a good portion of the match. Lauren Kranyak led the charge with 4 aces and Joy Kimmel and Andrea Amado followed with 2 each. In the end, we were unable to pull out the win. It was a good introduction to conference play for us, as we expect to see several other strong opponents in the next few weeks.

This week, we look forward to our match at Wentworth tomorrow and then a trip to Vermont this weekend!

Scots finish 1-2 at Colby College Invitational

Junior MB Kate Williams

This weekend, our team had a great opportunity to test ourselves at the Colby College Invitational. Our first round match resulted in a tough 0-3 loss to the host Colby Mules. Saturday morning brought another 0-3 loss to reigning North Atlantic Conference champion Maine Maritime. But Saturday afternoon, the Scots came back with a 3-0 win over UMaine Farmington to end the weekend. The challenge of the Colby Invitational allowed us to examine our strengths and weaknesses before heading into conference play against Salve Regina next weekend.

We also had plenty of team bonding time on the bus and in the hotel. We got our fill of sweets with ice cream at Friendly's and a stop at Yummy's candy shop in Kittery on the way home! Never a dull moment with the Gordon volleyball team. :)

Gordon volleyball stays perfect, Kranyak honored as Athlete of the Week

The Fighting Scots continued their win streak with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-8) win over Becker last night. Outside hitters Claudia Amado and Lauren Kranyak led the offense again. Claudia had 10 kills, six aces and eight digs, while Lauren had seven kills and 10 digs.

Lauren is also being honored as Gordon's Athlete of the Week, for her exceptional play during the first four matches of the season. Read the full article here.

Gordon wins Home Invitational and remains undefeated

Saturday was a great day of volleyball for our team. We had the opportunity to host 6 teams at our home invitational and ended the day with 3 wins and the invitational championship! Senior outside hitters Claudia Amado and Lauren Kranyak led the offense in wins over St. Joseph's College (CT), Simmons College and Bay Path College. I was especially proud of our team for the 5-set win over Simmons, coming back from being down 0-2. Claudia Amado was named MVP of the tournament and junior middle blocker Kate Williams was named to the all-tournament team. Keep up the good work, Scots!

Scots Win 3-0 in Home Opener

Yesterday started off our season with a 3-0 win over Albertus Magnus! It was a hard fought game, with close scores in each of the sets (25-21, 25-20, 25-21). It was exciting to start off our season at home and to be able to see some results from our hard work in preseason. Outside hitter Lauren Kranyak led the offense with 13 kills and Andrea Amado, a senior setter, tallied 25 assists. I'm proud of our team and look forward to our home invitational tomorrow!

Equally as exciting as the win is our team's partnership with Free2Play this year. Free2Play is a division of Not For Sale, an organization which fights against the injustice of human trafficking. Free2Play raises money for sports equipment and programs for people who have been victims of human trafficking. This season, each member of our team has pledged to donate $1 for every set we win and an additional $1 for every match win. So last's night win has already raised $64! We're excited to see how much we can raise throughout the season. Go Scots!

Practicing serving...of a different kind :)

Last week during preseason, the returning Gordon volleyball players had the opportunity to practice serving...but not of the volleyball variety. While the new players were involved in Gordon's orientation program, the rest of us headed over to Strike One sports facility to help them with a project.

Our task was to clean out a neglected space behind the turf baseball field. We ripped insulation off the walls and carried old tires out first. The majority of our work consisted of removing the clay and dirt leftover from the old baseball field, before the facility switched to turf. We chipped away at the several inch thick layer of dirt, shoveled it into buckets and carried it out to a pick-up truck. It was hard manual labor but the girls made a huge dent in the project and never complained.

Our verse for the day was Matthew 20:28 - "The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." It was great to take a step away from the gym and practice serving others in a tangible way.

Preseason starts today!

It's hard to believe it's that time again. The Gordon College volleyball team arrived on campus and moved into the dorms today in preparation for the start of practices tomorrow! I've already seen three of the freshmen today and welcomed sophomore Chelsie Clemens back to the East Coast from California. Tonight, our entire team will gather at the Gordon faculty and staff picnic, where we're in charge of organizing a game of grass volleyball.

It's always exciting to approach the challenge of a new season. We have a solid core group of returners and six new players joining us. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish together and I hope that you tune in and follow our journey this season!

Sidenote: Check out the volleyball page and our season preview on the new Gordon Athletics website!

Cherisa Fee named Academic All-Conference

Earlier this summer, junior defensive specialist Cherisa Fee was named to the Academic All-Conference Team of the Commonwealth Coast Conference. This award is conferred upon student-athletes that have attained at least sophomore status and have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above. Cherisa is a double major in communications and sociology and, in addition to excelling in her classes, she serves as a dedicated teaching assistant in the sociology department.

Said Athletic Director Jon Tymann of Fee and the other 39 Gordon recipients, “This award is particularly exciting for Gordon Athletics as it honors our student-athletes who are committed to success both on and off the field. Each of the awardees exemplifies our mission as a department and sets the standard for what it means to be a Division III student-athlete.”

Gordon College Summer Volleyball Camp

For the second year in a row, Gordon is hosting a volleyball camp! This year's camp is for 10-16 year olds and runs from August 8-12. Camp is a great opportunity to learn new skills, if you're a beginner, or to sharpen your skills, if you have some experience. Since it's in August, it's a great opportunity to prepare for high school volleyball tryouts! I just had a mom call today and say that her daughter and friends loved camp last year and all made their high school volleyball team!

I love to hear success stories like that and I can say that I expect this year's camp to be even better. I have more of my college players coaching at camp this year, which should be a blast. I also am personally excited about the camp ball that all campers will receive. :) It's our first time giving away camp balls and I think they look pretty sharp.

If you want more camp details, please check out the Gordon summer camps page: http://www.gordon.edu/athletics/summercamps.cfm. You can download a registration form there as well. We'd love to see you or your daughter at camp this summer!

Coach Rosentrater becomes Coach DeLuca

In my opinion, one of the most exciting events in recent Gordon volleyball family history took place on Friday, May 27, 2011. This is the day that saw me change my name from Coach Rosentrater to Coach DeLuca, through marriage to my best friend, Timothy David DeLuca!

The wedding took place after most of the volleyball team had left Massachusetts for the summer. But I was excited that the few who were still around came out to join in the festivities! Honestly, the day would not have run as smoothly without the help of the Gordon volleyball gang. Heidi was a fantastic reception coordinator and J ran the video camera at the ceremony. Cherisa did my hair, as well as my sister's, my mom's, and one of my bridesmaids'. Alex, Lauren, Cherisa and Leah all kept food and drinks replenished and helped clean everything up afterwards. And J could not help pulling a volleyball out of his car as the reception wound down. So there was some passing in a circle action (one of my volleyball pet peeves) to finish the day off. What fun!

I couldn't help joining in...

One beautiful thing about marriage is that it joins not just two people but two families. It's a wonderful parallel of God's acceptance of us into his family and of his adoption of us as his children. In the same way, the Gordon volleyball family has adopted Tim and welcomed him into the family. In that spirit, I've included our family picture below, courtesy of 2010 GCVB alum Leah Chamberlain. :)

J, Alex, Cherisa, Tim, me, Lauren, Heidi, Leah

Megan Spurgin Graduates!

Megan Spurgin was our lone 4-year senior in the volleyball class of 2011. I was happy to join in celebrating the culmination of her academic and athletic achievements at Gordon's graduation ceremony. Meg has been a constant presence of composure, spiritual maturity and quiet leadership on our team. She is both intelligent and fun, as evidenced by the combination of cords and a Hawaiian lei hanging around her neck! :) Megan has a very supportive family, many of whom traveled long distances to celebrate with her (see below). Megan, thanks for all you've contributed to the Gordon volleyball program and good luck in your future endeavors. We will miss you!

On the right track...

 Alex Nawoichik, a sophomore middle blocker from South Hamilton, Ma., is also a great contributor to the Gordon track and field program (pardon the cheesy pun in the title). She performed very well at the meets she ran this year. Most notably, she broke her own school record in the 100 hurdles at the final Commonwealth Coast Conference meet! She also broke the conference record in that event but finished second by a narrow margin. In her other events, Alex finished 3rd in the triple jump and helped the 4x100 meter relay team to a 4th place finish. Because of her stellar performace, Alex earned All-Conference recognition. Track coach Peter Foster and I agree that Alex is not only a gifted athlete but a personable and composed presence on both of our teams. Way to go, Alex!

Constantly Improving

As we wind down our non-traditional season this spring, I wanted to put in a good word for the work the girls on the team have done in practice. We have been stressing ball control and serving this spring and I have seen improvement almost across the board in both of those areas. With such a small group on campus, they have gotten lots of touches on the ball and lots of feedback, which has paid off. As we improve our ball control, it allows us to play a faster and more aggressive game, which makes playing even more fun! I'm also proud of the way the girls have approached every practice with high energy and communication. Practices with only six players can sometimes seem quiet and slow but the girls did not allow that to happen. Way to go!

Also, our two players studying in Spain for the semester, Andrea and Keri, have been keeping me updated on their workout and playing routine. As the weather warms up, they're getting a group together to play on the beach! So to the players at home and abroad, good work this spring season.

On the road again!

Spring means club volleyball season for many high school volleyball players, which means that I've been on the road recruiting quite a bit. It's convenient that the areas where I like to recruit from are also areas where my family and friends live. A few weeks ago, I went to the Southern California National Qualifier in Anaheim, visiting my grandma and my two uncles and their families while I was there. Last weekend, I spent a few days at the NorthEast Qualifier in Baltimore and got to catch up with my two younger brothers (both graduates of Messiah College) and some other dear friends in the area.

The level of volleyball was very high at both of the qualifiers! Some of it was really fun and refreshing to watch. I've always thought volleyball is such a beautiful and precise sport, when played well. I was able to watch a number of promising athletes who are interested in attending Gordon, which makes me excited about the future of our program!

What does it mean to play for Christ?

This is a question I've often pondered as an athlete and now as a coach. It's something that we talk about within the Gordon volleyball program as well. This past Friday, I had a chance to discuss this and other questions relating to faith and athletics in a more public forum. Keith Krass, an assistant basketball coach at Gordon who also works in the Center for Christian Studies, organized the first Athletics Convocation, consisting of a panel of current Gordon coaches and former Gordon athletes. We answered some questions from Keith and then took questions from the audience, largely composed of current Gordon student-athletes.

This is the kind of event that I believe makes Gordon so unique. One thing I love about the college is the perpetual focus of bringing every conversation back to Christ. I think our Convocation program on Friday morning did a great job of this. There were some funny stories and epic moments shared but I think our conversation about serving God within the realm of athletics was the most meaningful.

In my opinion, the context of team is a great place to live out your belief in God. There are ample opportunities for learning to work together, put others ahead of yourself, persevere through hardship, serve others, love others, carry each others burdens, and the list goes on and on. None of these are easy things to do! And yet, as Christians, we are called to do them. And a team gives us an intense, smaller scale environment for practicing how to be a follower of Christ.

March Madness Inspiration...and J's Birthday!

I have loved watching the Butler men's basketball team shine during the month of March for the past two years. I love it not only because I am a Hoosier at heart (born and raised in the great state of Indiana) but because I really respect the way coach Brad Stevens handles himself and his team. The more I have read about this man, the more I appreciate about his approach to life and basketball. He leads by example and simultaneously displays confidence and humility. His faith in Christ is the most important aspect of his life and he strives to be a better follower of Jesus everyday. That's the kind of focus that I would like to emulate myself and inspire in my team!

Brad sums up the goals of his team in The Butler Way. "The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness, accepts reality yet seeks improvement every day while putting the team above self." (http://www.butlersports.com/) I think this articulates well the ingredients to building a cohesive and competitive team. We'll be talking about this at practice tonight. :)

We'll also be celebrating the birthday of Jeren Lanoue, who we all know as J. J, a 2008 Gordon alum, has been my assistant coach for the past two seasons at Gordon. He's dedicated, organized, always pushing himself to learn more, and willing to do whatever I ask of him. Happy Birthday, J, and thanks for being such a big part of Gordon volleyball!

Me and J at Homecoming 2010

Spring Season!

Last week was spring break at Gordon, which means two things - the expectation of warmer weather and the start of our spring practices! In addition, our spring sports teams are back from their trips over break and three of them have games on campus today - baseball and both lacrosse teams. All of these things bring an air of excitement and anticipation to campus!

One thing I love about working in sports and in higher education is the opportunity to section life into seasons. It provides manageable chunks of time to work with and every few months, a fresh start on a new aspect of the larger project of building our team. I often think about how redemption is woven into every aspect of our lives. The seasons of our team - competing in the fall, training and improving in the spring, gearing up again in the summer - illustrate this beautifully. Each year the seasons stay the same yet they are profoundly different because they present a new opportunity.

This spring, with two graduating seniors and three other team members studying abroad, we will have lots of opportunity for individual and small group work. I'm excited for the improvements we can make as we work hard in our upcoming practices. Here is our roster for spring season:

Claudia Amado - Junior OH from Glastonbury, CT
Cherisa Fee - Junior DS from Wakefield, MA
Alex Nawoichick - Sophomore MB from Hamilton, MA
Chelsie Clemens - Freshman MB/RS from Santa Barbara, CA
Lauren Kranyak - Freshman OH from Locust Grove, VA
Chloe Cunio - Freshman DS/OH from Indialantic, FL

These young women have been working out with a trainer for the six weeks before spring break so physically they are all ready to go. And from talking to several of them, I know they are ready to get their hands on a volleyball again. :) Bring on the spring!

Meet Me Under the Eiffel Tower

One of the enjoyable factors of coaching a team of multi-talented young women with varied interests is that I get to hear about their experiences and live vicariously through them. Three of our Gordon volleyball players are spending the current semester overseas. Andrea Amado and Keri Hustus are studying in Barcelona and Jessica Taber is traveling all over Europe, with Holland as her home base.

While we miss having them on campus, they have been keeping us updated on their adventures through their blogs, where they allow their humor and unique perspectives to shine through. Recently, Jess and Keri made plans to meet up with each other in Paris for Jess' birthday weekend, a once in a lifetime experience.

Jess writes, "So, pretty much I love Paris. I have started writing about it like ten different times but it just boils down to this - Paris was amazing. Not only was the the city absolutely beautiful but I got to experience it with my best friend Keri (from Gordon)! It was even better than what I've seen in movies and pictures! From the shutters on the windows to the pastel colored apartment building with flowers in the window sills and cute little cafes and flower shops at every corner and the sparkling Eiffel Tower...I could just on forever!"

The two of them met under the Eiffel Tower and spent the weekend walking around the city and visiting some of France's most famous tourist destinations - Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, the catacombs, among others. And of course, they sampled some fabulous French food along the way - baguettes, cheese, hot chocolate, crepes and nutella!

Keri sums it up on her blog, "It was so awesome to be able to be in Paris for a few days with one of my best friends. Not a lot of people get to say that and I definitely feel blessed to have these opportunities while I'm here for the semester!"

Costa Rica Trip Update

Our team was recently featured on the Gordon College blog, Notes Along the Way. The article reported on our partnership with Push the Rock and Philadelphia Biblical University on a mission trip to Costa Rica. The trip was the highlight of Christmas break for me, Alex and Keri (two sophomores on the team). I've included the text of the article below, as well as a picture of the three of us in serve receive against the club team from Alajuela!

Coach
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Over the Christmas holiday, head women's volleyball coach, Ruth Rosentrater, together with team members Keri Hustus and Alex Nawoichik, and several members of Philadelphia Biblical University's volleyball team, traveled to Costa Rica with Push The Rock to compete in exhibition matches and partner with local service ministries.

Push The Rock, based out of Emmaus, Pennsylvania, is an organization dedicated to Christian ministry through the avenue of sport, offering numerous camp and missions programs to both domestic and international communities.

Beginning in the San Jose area, the team partnered with the Centro de Ensenanza y Discipulado (CED) church to hold volleyball clinics for local juvenile detention and foster home youth. "While many of these children and young adults have been disregarded by the world," said Rosentrater, "it was refreshing to communicate to them that they are a valuable part of God's creation.

From there the team traveled to the Los Chiles region of Costa Rica (located just south of the Nicaraguan border) to join forces with La Resplandecer Foundation, which seeks to provide education, employment and financial assistance opportunities to the immediate community. In addition to the usual clinics, the team also lent their efforts to help build a pasture area and community garden for the Foundation's farm outreach.

"It was such a blessing to see the [Foundation's] ministry at work and help them tidy up the farm to prepare for later projects," says Nawoichik. "I look forward to seeing how much their ministry grows as a result of our tiny contribution."