With fall break having come and gone and going and the second rounds of midterms fast approaching, fall sports have begun winding down. As teams begin to hang up their jerseys and look to improve in the offseason, Volleyball and Women’s Soccer have a chance to compete for a Centennial Conference Championship.
Both of these teams have previous experience in playoffs. Women’s Soccer made it to the semifinal round, and Volleyball was the runner up in the Championship last year. Both teams have been working hard and putting everything they have into the final weeks of their season.
Volleyball is hoping to claim their first-ever Centennial Conference Championship this year. Seeded second in conference, the team hopes to make a strong run in the postseason. Last season, they came within a match of winning the Championship but were ultimately beaten out by Johns Hopkins. This year, Volleyball is working hard for a different outcome. The team has been doing everything in their power to prepare themselves for their upcoming game this Saturday against Muhlenberg. Emily Kibby ’19 elaborated on her team’s preparation.
“All the training that we’ve been doing all season and the competition that we’ve faced has been leading up to now. This week is about focusing on what we can do well and making sure that we take care of ourselves so that we can play our best on Saturday,” said Kibby.
The team also stresses the importance of a healthy team environment off the court. For example, this Halloween the whole team dressed up as broccoli, decking themselves out in green morph suits and broccoli earrings. Creating a fun team culture has been an integral part of Volleyball’s current success. Their ability to be united off the court has played a big role in their positive team chemistry that has helped them win on the court. This amazing team atmosphere can be attributed to their five seniors who have dedicated the past four years to their team. Elise Cummings ’19 shares the impact the seniors have had.
“Our seniors have each played a huge role in taking Swarthmore Volleyball to the next level these past four years. I know I speak for everyone who has had the opportunity to play with these five when I say that I consider it a privilege to have shared the court with them. There is no one I would rather have to lead us to a championship this weekend.”
Led by these five instrumental seniors, the Garnet face Muhlenberg this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Although the game will be at Johns Hopkins, it can be viewed through the athletic website on the live feed. If they win that game, they play the winner of John Hopkins and either Franklin and Marshall or McDaniel Sunday at 1 p.m for the Centennial Conference Championship.
Women’s Soccer looks to claim its second-ever Centennial Conference Championship this weekend. Seeded second, the team hopes to make a strong run in conferences. Last season Johns Hopkins halted their conference run in the semifinals, but Swat Soccer is looking to come back strong this year. Instead of focusing on the championship, women’s soccer is playing in the moment and trying their hardest to win each game. Yasmeen Namazie ’19 expanded on this win-every-game mentality and how it is a different mindset from last year.
“I think that this year we have been more fixated on the present than looking at games in the future. We have really emphasized a one game at a time mentality. Every game matters at this point; it’s win or go home.”
Garnet Soccer has been working hard every day in order to prepare for their conference championship tournament. When asked about their upcoming semifinals matchup against Haverford, Claire O’Brien ’18 gave some insight on how the team has been preparing.
“We have been preparing by staying focused and continuing to build on what we’ve done all season. We are continuing to work hard to stay sharp on our game skills and get our school work done since we’ll likely be away traveling most of the weekend.”
Swat Soccer takes on Haverford this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Like Volleyball, their game is away at Johns Hopkins but can be viewed on the athletic website’s live stream. If they win Saturday, they will play for the championship at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Swarthmore sports seem poised for a strong playoff run this fall. These two teams have worked extremely hard in the regular season in order to ensure a bid into conferences, and they are now continuing this hard work into playoffs. Volleyball looks to capitalize on their stellar senior class and their inspirational leadership in their pursuit of their first Centennial Conference Championship. Women’s soccer plans to use their win-each-game mentality to advance past semifinals and win the championship. Hopefully, both teams will come back to Swat with a Championship trophy and a bid into NCAA Playoffs.
