ETSU Volleyball ended their season with all smiles at home on March 29 after sweeping a two-game series against the Chattanooga Mocs in Brooks Gym.
Coming off of three straight losses, the Bucs entered the matchup looking to end their bad luck and close out their season on a positive note. Plagued by injuries, the Bucs started with a 4-0 record on the season before going 1-9 in their next 10 games, leaving them with a 5-9 record entering the series against the 4-10 Mocs.
The first game of the series on March 28 saw a strong team that flashed the early season dominance, winning all three sets with the help of Sara Esposito’s (Venezia, Italy) explosive play. Esposito ended the day with 15-kills and only three errors in 33 attempts.
Following the trends of game one, the Bucs won all three sets in game two on March 29. The final set was a closely contested win. With the match point, the Bucs kept the ball in play with help from Lundyn Coffman (Nolensville, Tennessee), as Jenna Forster (Maryville, Tennessee) was able to end the series with a thrilling match-winning kill. She would end the day with 10 kills.
The Bucs now hold a nine-game active win streak against Chattanooga.
After the game, head coach Benavia Jenkins spoke about the hurdles the Bucs have faced throughout the season.
“We have to think about the two players we lost…not only two key players, but leadership was also lost,” Jenkins said, referring to the injuries of Olivia Cunningham (Knoxville, Tennessee) and Lauren Hatch (Homewood, Illinois).
“It wasn’t about us being upset because we were losing,” Jenkins said. “It was about [asking] ‘how can we grow?’ as the season progressed.”
The team rallied around each other when they needed it.
“This year we had players step outside of their comfort zones, screaming, yelling and really encouraging their teammates,” Jenkins said. “It all clicked in the end.”
Having the confidence to show high energy was an important lesson that Jenkins’ instilled into her team.
“That natural energy that our girls have in them, they just did not know how to show it,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins did not end the season with her chin down, describing herself as feeling good about going into the offseason.
“I’m glad to see the players we have this year that stepped up are coming back next year and bringing in our freshmen who I think will help us out a lot next year,” Jenkins said. “I’ll be very excited for next season.”
