UCLA, Hawaii, Stanford – these are the names that come up when talking about the top men’s volleyball teams. But after a huge win against Princeton, there might be one more name to add to that conversation: Concordia.  

On Jan. 20, men’s volleyball not only beat the eighteenth ranked Princeton team but swept them, winning all three sets by a combined 10 points. 

Junior Ties Cornelissen and junior Myles Henderson led the team with 13 and 11 kills respectively. Sophomore Paul Schulteis had 2 aces; redshirt sophomore Nathan Habermas and Cornelissen both had 3 blocks. Graduate student Aidan Case led the side with 26 assists, and junior Christian Galoppo and Cornelissen both had 7 digs. 

This win will be a huge boost to the squad and hopefully a turning point in their season after a slow start. 

“Obviously 0-2 is not how we wanted to start the season,” said freshman Matt Fisher prior to the two game win streak. “We have had so many moving parts with seven-plus new players and a whole new coaching staff. We have seen pieces of greatness from this team in the pre-season and even during the first two matches.” 

Regardless of the start, Fisher did not lose confidence in his team. “We will hit our stride and make dents in the college volleyball world.” 

That is exactly what they did: a clean sweep of one of the highest ranked teams in the country. This win will no doubt give the Golden Eagles confidence in their aim to make a deep playoff run this year. 

On a team that has a lot of new faces, head coach Jon Girten has been working hard to get them cohesive and ready for the season. 

“I think it’s just the resiliency,” said Girten when asked what stands out about his team. “Their ability to adapt, their ability to learn, their awareness that they know they don’t have all the answers and they’re willing to put the work in not only on the volleyball court but also mentally.” 

The roster as a whole has done a good job of coming together and meshing as one unit. 

“Being the only freshman has been an unexpected blessing,” said Fisher. “All of the older guys on the team have taken me under their wing and taught me the ropes quickly. As well, I had to come in and compete like I've been here before, because that is the standard.”

Concordia is sometimes seen as a small fish in big waters due to their standing as a Division II school in a Division I conference. However, the team sees this as a strength rather than a weakness. 

“It would be crazy for me not to mention the strength of schedule our coaches have designed,” said Fisher. “We will be in some of the most hostile gyms in America, and those are going to be games I remember for a lifetime.” 

The students have been showing up to the games in floods and the team will continue to need all of the support. 

“The fan support we have gotten so far has been incredible. Keep a heads up for our games, we bring in some of the biggest universities and top ranked opponents to the CU Arena on a weekly basis,” said Fisher. 

Come out to support the team at their next home game against Saint Xavier on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 5 p.m. Stay up to date on instagram @cuimvolleyball. 

 

Tags: volleyball, Men's Athletics

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