BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Nov. 14, 2024)– Playing in their first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Tournament Semifinal since 2009, the NCC women’s volleyball team fell in straight sets to the number one seeded Illinois Wesleyan University on Thursday night inside the Shirk Center.
Valiant Final effort
Although NCC came up just short in the Semifinals match, they certainly made sure that they did not go down without a fight.
A kill from Abbi Barickman, ’25, put NCC on the board before the Titans forced a Cardinal timeout, taking a 9-5 lead. Both teams continued to trade points, as a block from Amber Vande Hei, ’25, brought NCC within four, 16-12. Illinois Wesleyan’s run forced another NCC timeout as the Titans stayed up top. With the Titans ultimately taking a 25-16 win in the opening set.
In the final set, Barickman and Vande Hei teamed up for three straight kills to put NCC ahead, 13-12. Forcing a Titans timeout, Barickman put home her 14th kill of the evening to give the Cardinals a 16-14 edge. The Titans retook the lead, 18-17. NCC kept it close with a kill to make it 21-20 before IWU scored four of the final five points. This earned the Titans a 25-21 win to complete the 3-0 victory.
Strong Volleyball Memories
Even though her college career may be finished, Barickman has spent some time reflecting on her volleyball career and talks about some special memories that stand out to her the most.
“Throughout my time as an athlete, coaches have played a major role in my success on and off the court. During my high school career, my coaches grew my love for the sport by encouraging me to look at the game deeper and by teaching me fundamental skills,” said Barickman.
Barickman also talked about some of the things that she will always have to look back on and what she will remember the most at her time as a player at NCC.
“It is hard to pick just one experience or memory with my coaches! My favorite moments with all of my coaches are when we are celebrating a big win, or our pre-match words of wisdom in the locker room,” said Barickman.
Big building blocks
In addition, although NCC came up short on some of there goals like winning the CCIW tournament championship or making the NCAA Tournament, they still accomplished a lot together as a team and have built a very strong foundation going forward.
NCC finished this season with a total of 22 wins, which would account for the most wins for the program in a single season at NCC since 2015. As previously mentioned, NCC also had their best CCIW tournament finish at the event making the semifinals for the first time since 2009.
So, while they may not have accomplished everything that they hoped to do, they still reached some heights that the program has not reached in a long time. Which is certainly a feat that people should not overlook.
Tough resilience
Although the end result may be disappointing, NCC knows that they cannot spend too much time dwelling on it.
According to an article from Athleticinsight.com, resilient athletes are more likely to succeed. This is because of their adaptability and ability to recover from setbacks efficiently. They also mention how this is very important for not just sports but also in everyday life challenges.
Powerful motivation
Furthermore, after having a rough end to your season just as NCC endured, it can actually serve positive to propel a team forward.
According to an article from Peaksports.com all losses don’t have to be considered negatives. They can actually take you to new heights.
It is stated that some losses can even be seen as a benefit. A loss can inspire you to improve. You think, “I’m not going to make those same mistakes,” or “I refuse to lose in that way again.”
For NCC the tough end to the season will certainly help to have strong motivation for next year. Additionally, they will aim to build off of this years season.
What’s next?
NCC will now head into the offseason where they will lose some strong senior leadership. Despite this loss they will have a great blend of younger players and rising seniors. All whom are ready to take on bigger roles.
The end of the season will be used as fuel for NCC going into next year. They hope to build upon a season where they were able to achieve many different milestones for the program.
