2020 Season Review
In the midst of a worldwide pandemic, the Eagle's volleyball team was able to find success on and off the court, finishing with a record of 12-9. The Eagles were able to reach the championship match of the MCCC Conference Tournament as well as the NCCAA North Regional Tournament. Individual and team growth was experienced throughout the entire 2020 season on both the defensive and offensive courts.
"From the start of tryout week all the way through the NCCAA Regional Championship, we continued to mark improvement with individual and team play. Managing the season through the COVID19 pandemic, inserting new freshmen, and the difficulty of our schedule were all factors we addressed this season," commented Coach Nihart.
The Eagles began their 2020 campaign hosting their annual Spikefest Tournament. Defeating Trinity Bible College and Oak Hills Christian College provided the Eagles with early success. In the final round of the tournament, Faith competed against NCCAA ranked Maranatha Baptist University, only to come up short in a 0-3 loss. Later in the 2020 season, Faith went on and played the Sabercats on three more occasions, each time closing the gap.
After a long trip to Trinity Bible the following weekend found the Eagles at 3-3 in the young season, the Eagles then reeled off three more victories in their next four matches. Their only loss came from NAIA Waldorf University. In that game, after losing set one, Faith closed the gap to 25-22 and 25-23 in the last two sets. "We experienced the value in the opportunity to play and to buy into our system during the Waldorf match. Throughout the match, the team demonstrated more trust in our team system and their teammates. The match was fun to coach and watch," noted Coach Nihart.
The Eagles finished off the rest of the regular season by winning seven of their final 11 games. Faith entered the MCCC Conference Tournament defeating the Bears of Barclay College which placed them in the championship match against Manhattan. Though Faith fought hard, the Thunder defeated the Eagles 3-0.
MCCC 1st-Team conference honors were given to Eagle's middle hitter, Rachel Kleczka. The team also received the Sportsmanship Award for the fourth consecutive season.
Heading towards the regional playoffs, the Eagles took on Maranatha and Waldorf again, preparing them for tough competition. While Faith did not win those matches, they still continued to be competitive. "This was a good time for us to keep moving forward in our team play. We began to accept individual roles, and it showed in our play. We wanted to be in a position to play our best volleyball in November," noted Nihart.
Faith entered the NCCAA DII North Regional Tournament defeating Calvary University 3-0 and was rewarded with the opportunity to play Maranatha for the chance to go to the NCCAA National Tournament. Maranatha prevailed against Faith in three sets, but it provided a young Eagles team motivation for the 2021 season.
The NCCAA DII 1st-Team All-Region Award was given to sophomore Rachel Kleczka, while senior Alicia Smith and sophomore Morgan Stephens were awarded 2nd-Team placements. Stephens also received the NCCAA DII North Region Libero of the Year award. Karis Giegerich, Anissa Greiner, Alicia Smith, and Morgan Stephens all received the NCCAA Scholar-Athlete Award.
"We will have a great core group coming back next year of juniors and seniors as well as a good incoming freshmen class. We all have high expectations for success, and I believe this group is learning how to win with each year of experience!" exclaimed Nihart.
