By Jacob Greene
Photo by Ella Collins
Men’s volleyball swept UC Merced at home. They now look to stay hot as playoff season is near.
Men’s Volleyball in their last 7 games: 0-3 (Benedictine University at Mesa), 3-2 (Saint Katherine University), 1-3 (Dordt University), 3-0 (Park University Gilbert), 0-3 (Benedictine University at Mesa), 3-2 (Pacific Union College), 3-0 (Merced).
Men’s volleyball beat rival UC Merced in 3 sets Feb. 26. UC Merced has always been a big rival of Simpson, not only in volleyball –but in other sports too. Especially the men's and women’s soccer teams, as well as the women’s volleyball team.
A rough start to the week began when the team traveled to Angwin, Calif. to play Pacific Union College. The game began with PUC unexpectedly jumping up 2-0.
That was when Coach Steven Brasher made a significant change in the lineup.
“Coach made a really good tactical change. He switched me for Jacob,” Quinn Wright said.
Wright substituted to play back row for the “opposite hitter” – or right-side hitter Nathan Richards.
“It was a good kinda change to kinda get us going, it was a wake-up call for me and a wake-up call for the team. We ended up winning the game in five…we still won, it [definitely] felt like a loss to everyone though,” Wright said.
According to Wright, Coach Brasher sat Senior Christian Murry to rest him for the upcoming game against UC Merced. However, after falling behind two sets, Coach Brasher decided to put Murry in.
“We stuck with our lineup. It was hard for me, I did not think we would stick with it, but I understood because we were doing well with it,” Wright said.
“Jacob really killed it, so it was a good team effort, and we’ve kinda been on a roll,” said Wright.
After Simpson lost a game to Dordt on Monday evening libero Cody Baker gave some thoughts on the game.
“I feel like if we just had better passing, we would’ve pulled it out,” said Baker.
One of the main components of the team is the setter, Nikos Kalagasidis.
“I can pass the ball like 20 feet off the net and he’ll just–absolutely–just dime pass to our hitter. It’s great honestly, he bails us all out, we all need to thank this man constantly cause he does a great job of what he does,” said Baker.
Having a setter that plays as well as Kalagasidis does helps a team stay on a roll—like the Red Hawks have been. They are 4-3 in their last seven games.
The Red Hawks will have their final home game Mar. 28 versus Hope International University.