It was a special night in Yoder Arena on Friday, Oct. 29, where seniors Andrea Troyer, Bethany Shultz, and Julia Powers were recognized and celebrated in the final home game of their careers. The Royals took on their cross-town rivals the Bridgewater Eagles in the regular-season finale that could determine where the Royals would play in the opening round of the ODAC tournament. The Eagles got off to a strong start in the first set, getting up early and not looking back. The Royals made it more competitive in the last two sets, but the Eagles eventually took them all and the match ended in a 3-0 sweep. Senior Andrea Troyer had a lot going through her head during the night. “I had a mixture of emotions during our final home game,” said Troyer. “I felt gratitude for all the support from my teammates, coaches, family, and friends. Even though the game didn’t go as we wanted, I still have a deep sense of pride in the team from this season and I am proud of what we have accomplished, and still can achieve going into the ODAC tournament next week.”
Despite the loss, head coach Casey Steinbrecher still found some positive things that his team did. “After the 1st set, we actually attacked fairly well hitting .250 in the set and .200 in the 3rd set. [Sophomore] Paris [Hutchinson] was locked in and was virtually unstoppable against Bridgewater’s normally stingy defense. We also passed pretty well and that’s a foundation we need to continue building on,” said Steinbrecher. In preparation for the ODAC tournament, there is some things coach Steinbrecher is hoping to improve on. “We need to find kills. We can defend well, but only so many times within a rally. We need to end rallies earlier.”
Coach Steinbrecher also reflected on the three seniors on his team: “We wouldn’t be where we are without all three of them! They each have different roles on the team but each role serves a very important purpose. Bethany is the battery that runs our volleyball machine. Constant energy and leadership! Andrea represents us throughout campus and the community and we couldn’t be more proud of the image she puts forth. Julia is our most improved and leader by example that everyone has learned something from. We always say we’re only as good as our leadership and these three have made this team one of the best in decades!”
The Royals have landed the sixth seed in the ODAC tournament and they will be taking on the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins in the first round of the tournament.
