On (February 17th) we traveled down to Lincoln, NE, to partake in the Cornhusker Clash and our third meeting with the University of Nebraska. We went into the day hoping to get at least one win and to get some more experience for our rookies against some great talent on UNL’s squad. However, the day went just about as well as it did in our last meeting with UNL. We did manage to get a few very hard-fought points and showed signs that we can be a team that doesn’t go down easily. Too often though, we fall apart and stopped playing the game we know how to play and loss points in the blink of an eye. Looking forward, we plan on really getting at the nitty gritty and becoming the best we can be.
Here is what some of our players had to say:
Zach Brand
How do you feel the tournament went?
I personally think the tournament went okay, there was a lot of stuff that I noticed while playing and watching that we worked on in practice that just wasn’t being applied. Part of that though, at least in my experience, comes down to getting into a different mindset while in game to apply the things we’ve already worked on. Other than that, most of the other things we worked on in practice like blocking and staggering were there. This tournament really showed us that if we are going to compete with the bigger and better teams, then we have to put in a lot of work to get there.
What are some of the big takeaways you have from the tournament?
While we did lose and there’s still a few things that we have to work on, the biggest takeaway for me was that we can compete as a team and with that can at least make it harder for other teams to win even if we don’t in the end.
What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?
Just getting out there and showing the other teams that we can compete with them, because it’s not just a matter of who’s got the fastest throw or who can catch the most balls, it’s the teamwork that’ll take us further as a club.
What was your favorite moment(s) of the tournament?
The team throw between Tomas, Caleb, Nick, and I was a really awesome moment that for me solidified that we can be a solid team, because the coordination between us four was really satisfying, and if the team can coordinate like that with everything else, we can compete with the bigger teams like MSU or Grand Valley.
Nicholas Stocks (President)
How do you feel the tournament went?
We learned a lot about ourselves such as individual strengths and weaknesses. We proved to ourselves that when we are constantly communicating on court we stay in and get outs.
What are some of the big takeaways you have from the tournament?
This tournament proved we as a team we can play and not make major mistakes. The scores of both games don’t show it but in most of the points we were with UNL up until the end. The small individual mistakes are what we struggle with and why we lose points. Once we all eliminate those mistakes, we will be dangerous.
What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?
I look forward to seeing the team continue to work together and strive towards a common goal.
What was your favorite moment(s) of the tournament?
My favorite moment was when Tomas Zander, Caleb Laux, Zach Brand, and I all had a team throw to get the final out in a point.
Bryden Hundt (Rookie)
How do you feel the tournament went?
As a team, it was a great stepping-stone for progress. We competed, had successful moments and even won a couple points. The tournament showed we could play as a team and be very successful even against one of the toughest teams in the nation.
What are some of the big takeaways you have from the tournament?
Together as one. Everyone played their role on the team. Of course, we all have our minor flaws to work on, but we had great success.
What are you looking forward to for the rest of the season?
Since our next tournament right now is nationals, I look forward to causing a couple upset matches. If we play similar to how we played at UNL and keep ourselves disciplined and do the basics right, there would be nothing to stop us but ourselves.
What was your favorite moment(s) of the tournament?
Watching the team catches, we had a handful of great team catches and some great hits. The best part of the tournament had to be the points we won and competed in.
We want to thank UNL for the invite and great hospitality. We wish the Cornhuskers luck as we approach the NCDA national tournament.