Grove City College Women’s Volleyball team is off to a 5-0 start, which is the best for the Wolverines since 2007. One of the key players on the team is outside hitter, St. Louis, Mo. native, Elisabeth Sems. In the classroom, Elisabeth is a junior majoring in Business Management. While on the court she is a two-year letterwinner and ended her 2018 season second on the team in both points with 242.5 and kills with 221. In the following interview with Elisabeth, you will get an inside look at the Wolverines undefeated volleyball team.
Your season has been off to a great start, what do you attribute to this success?
I believe we work well together and we all love each other a lot. As a team, we trust each other and are always supportive of one another. In addition, I think our coach has been a huge part of our success because in the last two years we had different coaches and it was difficult to get used to a coaching style so quickly. But, this year Coach Sayles has been very consistent and he is very knowledgeable about volleyball.
Speaking of your coach, how has the transition been with the new coaching staff?
The transition has been really good. In fact, it was nice to have a spring season with Coach Sayles because we had the opportunity to get used to how he runs a practice and his expectations for the team. Playing in the spring gave the team an idea of what we should work on during the offseason before going into our actual season in the fall. I think Coach Sayles knows all of us well and truly understands his players. An important quality that I love about Coach is his ability to motivate us and help us work hard to achieve team goals.
What would you say is unique about Grove City College’s Women’s Volleyball team?
The main element of our team that makes us unique is our team chemistry. We have a lot of returners from last season, in fact, only one player did not come back to play this season. On top of having a lot of upperclassmen return, we added several great freshmen who are already making a positive impact on the team. Our team chemistry will continue to grow as we play together as one unit.
If you could give advice to a prospective student hoping to play volleyball, what would it be?
One main point that I would love to share with prospective volleyball players is that you only have four years in college, and it goes by really fast. So, enjoy your time playing this sport and be intentional. I cannot stress that enough – be intentional every time you get to play. You have an amazing opportunity to play for a great college, so play with a purpose and an intention.
Has your faith impacted you as an individual while playing volleyball, and how has it been implemented this year for the team as a whole?
In terms of the team, faith has been a big part of our team identity since Coach Sayles is the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Ministry and he is very knowledgeable on this subject. He makes faith and scripture a part of all our practices and games. Individually, volleyball is very mental and a game of mistakes. So, you have to know where your true identity is, and my faith has helped me find that.
