GEORGETOWN, TEXAS - Southwestern Volleyball concluded their season with a 16-11 record, going 12-4 in conference play and making it to the SCAC Championship semi-final game, suffering a defeat to Colorado College after a four-set battle, and missing out on advancing to the SCAC championship match and potential NCAA tournament berth.

The month of September saw the Pirates earn a 6-6 record after playing one of the most demanding out-of-conference schedules in the country. In the Pirate's first twelve matches of the season, they faced six NCAA DIII Tournament qualifiers, including the DIII National Champions, Juniata. Each tournament team they faced in that stretch, the Pirates took to multiple sets, including a five-set battle to Juniata College, 12-15 in the 5th set. 

In October, the Pirates dominated much of conference play, with two of their four conference losses being to Trinity, a team that played Juniata for the national championship. Each time the Pirates faced the Tigers, they gave them all they could handle, taking them to four and five sets, respectively. 

Although some might view the two losses to the two national championship contenders as a bust, Head Coach Don Flora views the opportunity to play at a high level in a positive light. 

"We played one of the most rigorous schedules in the nation, including two teams that played for the national championship, but our athletes never shied away from asking how to get better, and they got into the gym for extra repetitions often. We had the joy of learning and developing throughout the entire season."

Volleyball is a game where momentum carries a team through each match, set, and point. A great team has the ability to control the ebbs and flows of a match and maintain the positive momentum for as much of the game as possible. Southwestern was, without a doubt, the most competitive team in the country that didn't make the tournament, as seen by their performance against NCAA tournament-caliber teams. But in each of these high-level matches, the Pirates seemed to be fighting an uphill battle and never quite had the momentum they needed to close out a game. 

An analysis by Coach Flora sees the need to keep the pressure on the opponents when it matters most, rather than the other way around.

"We have identified the need to be able to take big swings in crunch time. We teach a thinking of 'crush, pressure, extend' a play when attacking, and we need to keep believing in our ability to crush and terminate a point."

Southwestern will have to find a way to fill in the gap on offense left by outside-hitter Emma White. White, the two-time All-Region recipient, racked up over 1,100 kills in her career, averaging almost three kills a set in 108 career matches. White certainly was able to terminate a point throughout her career, but the Pirates will also lose 4-year All-Conference selection, middle-blocker Riley Brantley. Brantley herself accumulated 874 kills in her career through great blocking and being an athletic presence in the middle of the net. 

The team as a whole will need adjustment as they graduate a seven-person senior class that has provided depth and experience throughout their time at Southwestern. Kelly Helms, Joelle Zoolkoski, Jessica Kuras, Abi Benavides, and Katelyn Whitehead have all been invaluable to Southwestern volleyball. 

"These seniors have given deeply and freely to this program. They have helped us ascend as a program during their time at Southwestern University. Their investment in their teammates and the 'Pirate Way' has been felt and seen throughout the country in their competitiveness. They have helped set the path for greater success in the future," explains Coach Flora. 

Looking into the future, the Pirates maintain an identity that has been through the wringer of challenging and successful seasons. 

"This team kept together through some tough circumstances this year. Our goals in the future will continue to focus on taking care of yourself, taking care of your teammates, and taking care of the program. We see these items as core to how we think and how we prepare for each season," says Coach Flora. 

From a technical standpoint, the Pirates will need to continue to figure out a way to finish matches on offense, but the team's base lies in their defense, and the experience level will be greater than ever. The Pirates have a slew of returners coming back from the first-year to junior ranks that contributed to the team's high-level competitiveness this season. 

"We believe that our overall defense, blocking and digging, can continue to emerge as strengths for the upcoming season and beyond. We have the core of the setting and defense returning, so that is a huge piece of the puzzle," analyzes Coach Flora.

"The level of commitment now and during the off-season will set the tone for the 2023 season. We will need to ensure we have teammates working and preparing themselves for the demands of being an elite national program in 2023 throughout this spring and summer." 

Southwestern volleyball will be back for more in 2023, never shying away from going head-to-head with the best in the country and looking to return back to national contention.