The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

The student news site of Marquette University

Marquette Wire

LEARY: Volleyball deserving Big East champions

LEARY: Volleyball deserving Big East champions

The first game I ever covered for the Marquette Tribune took place three days before the start of my sophomore year.

I walked into the Al McGuire Center, sat down at the near side table and watched the Marquette women’s volleyball team take on Bowling Green. The Golden Eagles won that night in three sets, and thus my career covering Marquette sports began.

Since that time, I have also covered the men’s basketball team and experienced the successes and failures of all Marquette sports teams. I also learned about the history of Marquette sports during that time. I can say with confidence that if ever a team truly earned a Big East championship, the 2013 Marquette volleyball team did.

From day one of covering the team, I could tell  Bond Shymansky and his crew would win, and win the right way. The way he talks about his team is unlike any I have seen before from a coach.

Shymansky loves his team. Not in a Buzz Williams sort of way. Buzz loves his teams because they overcome a perceived lack of talent to mesh together as one and overachieve. Bond loves his teams because they are a perfect extension of his vision on the court. As such, he has unflinching faith in their ability to succeed against any opposition.

That opposition included Louisville, Marquette’s nemesis in 2011 and 2012, who the Golden Eagles could never quite overcome. Even last weekend, Shymansky said his team was just one win away from the 2012 title, even though that game was Louisville on the road.

The unflinching faith continued this season, when Marquette took on top 10 opponents  Penn State, USC and Florida. The team didn’t win a single set against those juggernauts, but Shymansky’s belief in his team never wavered.

Then came Big East play, when Marquette asserted its dominance and went 15-1. Perhaps more impressive than the near perfect record was the way the team reacted to the lone loss at Creighton. I talked to senior defensive specialist Rachel Stier the next day, and you would have thought she lost a loved one.

“We just didn’t show up,” Stier said over and over again.

Marquette showed up for every game the rest of this year, including its rematch with the Blue Jays, when Marquette eviscerated Creighton in three quick sets. The Golden Eagles earned their title so convincingly, that they clinched it Friday against Xavier and could relax on senior night, as they pulled out a four-set win over Butler.

Nobody outside the program ever really believed in Marquette women’s volleyball. The team has not been ranked in the top 25 all season until monday, when the AVCA put it at No. 24.

Inside the team, there was always such a deep belief in the teams potential. Accordingly, Shymansky dubbed this year the “season of champions” for his squad.

With one title in the bag, Marquette will go for the Big East Tournament championship next weekend. Maybe then, the rest of the sports community will view the Golden Eagles as the deserving champions they are.

Story continues below advertisement
Leave a Comment

Comments (0)

All Marquette Wire Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *