 Welcome to Go Mustang Sports. I am Dave McHugh joined by women's volleyball coach Dave Trumbo Coming off of a semi-final win in conference tournament action heading into the championship a lot to talk about there But let's back up a little bit Talk about the weekend that you guys had a non-conference action Lynchburg and Muhlenberg You and I talked about how this was an important weekend going in You guys played pretty good volleyball. We did as did the other team for a competitive weekend started off with Muhlenberg They were Fifth in the region we were fourth. So I probably couldn't have scripted it any better No, you got a play and somebody of that caliber the last week of the season trying to get ourselves ready For the conference tournament I want to get by Muhlenberg Three to one it was 25 23 or 22 in that four set. So it was a great match really good match Of course, you beat them 3-1 Lynchburg then Beat some 3-0 sweep some not that this is a story about Muhlenberg They get knocked right out of the regional rankings with those two losses That's how much was on the line with this weekend you then take on Lynchburg and you have to survive 3-2 Yeah, Lynchburg was fired up. I mean I kept thinking when are you gonna come down over there? I mean they were really fired up and they jumped out to a 2-1 lead our kids looked tired I'm thinking oh my gosh, and so we tied it up 2-2 and basically that regional ranking came down to that fifth set Got off to a 7-1 lead and just coasted and in a 15 point We've mentioned it before in a 15-point game in the fifth set 7-1 is a huge Yeah, it's real difficult We're 3-0 in five set matches so the bench everybody just comes alive and we just go out there and Fortunately this year we've been able to do great things in the fifth set We'll talk about the regional rankings a little bit, but you stay forth as a result of that Certainly an important weekend in that sense, but also important this week is the conference tournament you get the nice win over like homing and what looks like the team is starting to really start to gel really starting to play well at the Right time you you win that semi-easily 3-0 like come beat Widener in the 4-5 right and Widener is You know they played Lebanon Valley to the 3-2 they played us tough all the games from the 20s So if we're thinking we're gonna play Widener and like coming beat some three-to-one and but comes down here and sometimes the match ups That you have with people We and we were ready. We had two great days of practice and that's probably one of the best matches Take away. Who was on the other side? We just played great, right, you know, we served about 16 aces. That's incredible We hit over 300 we kept them below they hit like 0 57 And they're a decent team they were 18 and 16 coming in but we just on all cylinders You know, we you know and we are now point to Messiah And Messiah is the big matchup coming up quick thing about the like-homing game though. You mentioned the 16 aces Sammy was six of those You know, it's it's it's tough to ace in volleyball in general because there's so many people on the court But to get six from one player gets 16 as a team. You're hitting while you're defending well Everything does seem like it's in sync as a coach. You got to be pretty proud of that But maybe trepidatious that how long does that run run? I really think it's gonna go We have not played. Okay. We should be able to beat like coming. Sure Easier said than done, right? But that's the first time this year where we just went out and thump somebody We just played the way we can play for three straight matches As by this time my freshman or longer freshman, right? They've got 33 matches under their belt so they're sophomores now and So we've got a lot of experience. We've got a lot of momentum flowing and You know, Anika sports freshman had 13 kills four aces Passed almost flawlessly and as it did everybody pass the ball really well last night out of serve receive So real pleased little surprise that Messiah got by like, uh, lebanon valley so easily lebanon valley beat them during the year There's a grudge match, but but you expected that to be a grudge match Literally maybe five seven and during the year Lebanon valley beat them three nothing, but all the games are really really close like two of them were two pointers So i'm thinking it's going to be like that one the first game It does 25-23 messiah, but then after that they beat him good. Yeah, it wasn't even much of a match So here we go third time in a row say here we go messiah back up third time in a row They would love to knock you guys off the table for sure. Oh, yeah You guys are protecting the home court once again want that championship to yourself There's a lot of ramifications before we get to those how How are you matched up with messiah? You've had your battles with this team. You know, they're coming gunning for you How do you see yourselves lining up? Well, they have uh, who they have got two fantastic outside hitters both from carol county Um who were freshmen last year So they were a lot more mature and uh, they got into the championship last year and I think we're a little bit shaky Um this year. I think that's different But what they did lose they lost their setter last year who was their glue So they've got a sophomore setter who's not been in this time type of game before Although when we played them up there, she played fantastic another carol county kid They're all were on the same club. They all went to miss went to messiah So they're all sophomores. They've got four kids all from carol county that play huge role in their team And of course i'm from carol county. Yeah, our setter It hurts you a little bit Carol county lauren weaver our right type Wait, can't get them all. We've got our share It sets up a nice rivalry there, right? Oh, yeah Well, hey, sarah was player of the year. Our setter was player of the year in carol county lauren weaver She was player of the year last year in carol county. Yeah, so hey The best the best will face off against each other. Well, it'll and it'll be a great match And we have a lot of respect for them Yeah, to be honest some teams, you know, you just don't like them that much Besides not one of those teams no and great kid. We like them. We're friends Uh, I have a lot of respect for him. So it's going to be a great match So obviously a lot online because you win the conference championship That's one thing but that automatically gets you to the nca tournament We mentioned earlier sitting fourth in the regional rankings, which is certainly a nice position to to have The teams ahead of you most likely are in autumn or will win their automatic bids Which is so meaning if you were to lose your first to the table But you don't want to risk that you also might mean you might slip back You want to win this to get in and guarantee your spot and winning gets in Even gives you maybe a better seating as it were in the tournament to avoid maybe some of the big fish early Yes, that's you don't know if we would not win on saturday. How far are we going to fall? Right? All right messiah is regionally ranked. Okay, so Um, that's It's helpful, but it may not be right totally helpful Right and it may help them more than help too. It's going to depend on what haverford does Haverford and swarthmore are the two that are underneath us both from centennial and they may meet each other in the finals um There's too much at stake too much up in the air too much juggling can't take the chance. Well, obviously we're not going to take the chance But uh, yeah, and and we want to get a good seat We'd like to avoid eastern juniata and christopher newport in that first round You know and if you're on the fourth seed or one of them goes somewhere else Well, if christopher newport hosts are they going to bring juniata all the way down? Are they going to send them to another region because it's all about closeness and proximity for travel? So all of a sudden juniata is in a different region and we're a third seed You know if we went sure and then we get a sixth seed So you need more really want to go through it get through that first round Get your feet wet and then go after them like you know worked out for us last year I certainly don't want to assume you won't make the nc tournament But there will be postseason playing most likely the following weekend anyway But how do you get the team focused on listen? We need to secure more than just making the nca tournament Uh, I don't even think that's a problem. Sammy's probably got that covered. Absolutely Sammy and Megan Golly, they're like, what if we've lost five matches? So there may be 130 and 15 They've gone to the nc double a three years in a row and each year we go a step farther So uh, and well, we do have seven freshmen, but the rest of the team They know that it's not good enough just to get them You'd like to get to chrispin newport for that uh final week? Yeah, I have not played that. Yeah, well, well, I mean for the final weekend We're gonna have to go through them. Yeah, probably but you'd like to continue to go to that campus if you could Yeah, that would be nice You talk we've talked about players throughout the year that have stepped up or had good seasons One of them you mentioned already freshman schwarz really outside hitting has really stepped up for you Has really had a good season and you said in the past week. She's had a really good week She's had a really good couple of matches. She played pretty well and against the Second third and fourth ranked teams in the region She's been playing really well The whole team's been playing well both of the outside to chris christin brooks has been unbelievable Defensively uh in the back row. She's our other outside and uh, so and now lauren weaver starting to really play Well on the right side another freshman Um, sarah bowlinger said or I think she's playing the best she has all year and make miller our our middle um Had a couple of you know Hit 370 in one of the matches over the weekend. Wow, and then I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about kelly mckenzie who Has stepped in for kelsey stave who's back without with an injury Kelsey mckenzie against mulenberg has her career gain. That's incredible 20 swings 12 kills. Wow Yeah, so in two hours so she hits 500 gets a couple of blocks and um Six one cheese gaining lots of confidence. So I we're right the right spot I was gonna say really hitting your stride at the right time of the year. Yeah, there's no there's no question And I think they can feel it too Well, it's certainly been fun to watch one more game of the regular season conference championship coming up at owing's middle state Our gymnasium I should say it'll be against messiah the game will take place at 2 p.m You can certainly watch it online at gomustangsports.com or just show up to the gym to watch the championship game there And of course then we will wait I believe was it monday you will find out what the nca tournament Results will be so monday at 11. We will find out where stevensson is headed in the nca tournament for coach Dave drumbo. I'm day mckew. You we will check in with the team next week before that Post season action takes place find out how things shaped up and how they are looking moving forward You're watching go mustang sports