Men’s volleyball senior Micah Buller not only leads the Continental Volleyball Conference with his total digs, but is also noted for his passion on the court and fearless defense.

In last Saturday’s win over Thiel, Buller had 10 digs before adding 13 digs later that day in a comefrom- behind 3-2 win over Messiah. As the libero on the team, he leads the team with 259 digs on the season (2.91 per set).

Reflecting on his final matches of the season in Yoder Arena on Saturday, Buller states that the experience is one that he will not forget.

“It was absolutely an emotional experience,” he said. “The two matches were extremely fun to play in, especially the Messiah match. It honestly hasn’t hit me that those were the final matches because we are pushing to be the one seed in the conference and host the tournament!”

Not only did the Royals enjoy the two wins, but also the atmosphere in the arena was full of energy as the crowd cheered on the team.

“In my four seasons here, I have never seen the gym like that,” Buller said. “It was an incredible experience that I feel honored to be a part of. It warms my heart to see so many people come out to support the seniors and the team in our last regular season match.”

One challenge that Buller has faced during his time with Eastern Mennonite is the changing of the coaching staff. In his career at EMU, he has had three different coaches, with three different coaching types.

“They have all brought a different mentality to the game that we have all grown from in some fashion,” Buller said. “This year’s staff has brought a whole level of competition in practice that we have not seen in our last couple years and it has taken some time to all get ahead to that level.”

Despite the recent changing of coaching staff, current coach Danielle Lickey has had the opportunity to work with Buller since his time in high school. She noted that his commitment to the sport and competitive nature make him a great asset to the team.

“He plays a selfless position. Liberos get very little of the glory, but Micah prides himself and his play on what he allows others on the court to do,” Coach Lickey said. “He is also a caring, kind, and fun teammate and player.”

Having coached Buller in high school, Lickey has already known him for seven years. “I continue to be amazed at the growth and development he makes every day and I feel lucky to have been able to coach him again and get to know him even further as an young adult.”

Looking back on his time playing for EMU, Buller noted that his fondest memory is the win over Marymount last year. He also added that last year’s losses are what have pushed him to improve his game in his final season.

“Last season we started to lose the drive and focus toward the end of the season,” he said. “At the end of this season we are focused on pushing through to the end and showing everyone that we deserve to be on top of the conference and making the NCAA Tournament,” Buller said.

Approaching the final six matches in the season, Buller hopes to continue improving his game not only physically but mentally.

“For me, this season has been more gaining mental strength — making sure to be mentally ready and focused before every practice to play to the best of my ability for myself and the team. And then using that drive to ready myself for the matches,” Buller said.

Coach Lickey added that one of Buller’s special qualities has always been his mental strength and perseverance.

“His intelligence allows him to process mistakes and find a way to get better,” she said. “He has worked really hard this year, changing the way he plays the game based on new coaching, and he has done so seamlessly. He is a great leader on the court, with his energy, drive, and positivity being things his team depends on him for.”