While it is a bit early in the school year to make a fuss about the success of our sports teams, volleyball has forced us at The Rambler to start early. The 2019 Pioneers, not even halfway through their season, have done something this year that has not been accomplished ever in the program’s history. They have received a top 25 ranking in the Division III American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll (AVCA). Sporting a (10-2) record, with a nine game winning streak, the girls are currently ranked 22 with no clear signs of descent in the future.
The Rambler spoke with Senior defensive specialist Hadley Trenaman, who has experienced both up and down seasons in her volleyball tenure at Transylvania, about what makes this team special. She explained, “It’s a very rewarding feeling to know that as seniors, our three plus years of hard work have finally paid off. Amy, Tyler, and our new coaching staff have played a huge role in allowing us to make all the necessary changes to our play and come out on top with tough wins. It’s been an uphill battle coming in from our previous standings, but we have the utmost determination to achieve our goals in making it to the NCAAs and going as far as we possibly can. We’re all so proud of what we have been able to accomplish thus far, but it’s not done yet—we have a lot more work to do and more history to make!”
As Trenaman claimed, it is clear that since Head Coach Amy Barmore has taken over the reigns as head coach in 2018 the team has taken a dramatic upswing. Last season, her first as head coach, the Pioneers rattled of an (8-1) Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference record and claimed the program’s first outright regular season title. Barmore had this to say about what made this team successful thus far and what we can expect to see in the remainder of the season: “Our team has worked very hard on the mental part of the game this year. We have added some new techniques to our program and it seems to be working well for them. Our team has found a ‘business’ mentality and checks into that mode everyday. We plan to continue the success through the weekend and the rest of the season. There is a lot of season left and being checked in everyday is hard but that is also one of our goals this season.”
The team will look to further their success tomorrow at home in the Beck center when they take on Ohio Wesleyan and Marietta at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. respectively. The winning streak is on the cusp of double digits, and the Rambler’s sports section will continue to cover the history being written by the Transylvania Women’s Volleyball team.
