At the end of August this 2018, Cabrini women’s volleyball began another season full of victories.
Players are setting records and being named to tournament teams. Thanks to great coaching and persistence, the team has won more than double the amount of games that they have lost since that first game on Aug 31.
Head coach Eric Schaefer is beginning his 12th year coaching Cabrini volleyball, nine of those years leading the Cavaliers to Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) championship games. He says the team works hard to win.
“We all love to win but we know that the work we put into practice and preparation is what leads us to our success,” Schaefer said.
Setting records
Emily Shannon, senior education major, has been playing for the Cavaliers for four years. On Sept 21, the Cavaliers traveled to Pomona, New Jersey to play a game against the Catholic University Cardinals to play in the Stockton Ospreys Classic All-Tournament Team. Shannon recorded 13 digs, which set her record of 1,000 career digs. Shannon is the sixth player to achieve this record in the program.
“It’s surreal that I have accomplished such a goal within the time I played at Cabrini. I don’t believe I would’ve been able to get 1,000 digs if it wasn’t for my coaches help on learning where to be on defense to get a dig,” Shannon said.
“Emily is an amazing player. Emily has great knowledge and a high IQ on the court!” Coach Schaefer said.
Shannon has been playing since 5th grade, so this will be her 12th year playing.
“I have to thank [my sister] because we played together for 16 years and she is the first person to correct me, yell at me, encourage me, etc. on and off the court,” Shannon said.
Emily’s sister, Ashley Shannon, senior business management major, has played for the Cavaliers for four years as well and loves it too.
“I get to play the sport I love while still being able to get an education. It also is fun playing so close to home and with my sister,” Ashley Shannon said.
Ashley also recorded 1,000 career digs back in Oct of 2017.
A new classic
Hannah Dalton, freshmen criminology major, is playing her first year at Cabrini. She’s been playing volleyball for seven years. Even though she is only a freshmen, she is working hard.
“This is Hannah’s first year on the team and she is one of the hardest workers on the team. She wants to be the best and she is not afraid to put in the work to be the best,” Coach Schaefer said.
The same weekend that Emily Shannon recorded her 1,000th dig, Dalton was named to the Stockton Ospreys Classic All-Tournament Team. She totaled 24 blocks with no errors.
“It’s actually kinda crazy because two days before the tournament, I hurt my ankle so badly at practice that our athletic trainer put me on crutches pretty much right until we had to play. It was definitely a test of my mental toughness, which is a huge part of volleyball,” Dalton said.
Not only was Dalton named to the All-Team, but she was also named Defensive Player of the Week.
Staying motivated
Despite the teams few losses, they are still staying tough and coming up strong with more wins.
“The more motivation the team has on the court, the better we will play. I think there is always a small goal that should motivate a player in practices and in games whether that be a certain number of aces, kills, digs or assists,” Emily Shannon said.
Between the players and the coaches, the motivation is strong.
“Getting this program to grow each year and be respected not only regionally but also nationally is what pushes me to be at my best,” Coach Schaefer said.
Many other players on the team are achieving their goals and coming up on top. The team has a few games left in the season to continue to prove themselves.
“We are looking forward to starting conference play this week. We had a great September of learning who we are and we continue to work hard at being better,” Schaefer said.
