Fall Sport Teams Kick Off the Start of Their Seasons

By Kristen Griffith, The Whetstone

Volleyball

The returners on the volleyball team have stepped up this season, said senior and team captain Beth Schlecker.

“We have been pushing themselves and the freshman to work hard in games and practice,” she said.

Schlecker said the freshmen’s performance in their first tournament was inspiring. They beat both Centenary College and Ursinus College 3-0 on Sept. 3.

Head Coach Lindsay Miller said Schlecker was as tough as nails.

“Her primary role last year was Setter, however, this year she has taken on much more responsibility as a hitter and a passer, as well as setting,” she said. “She really pushes the girls and holds them accountable at practices and during games.”

The team is currently 7-3, and Schlecker expects this season to be better than the last. They ended last season with 12 wins and 17 losses.

“I would love to have more wins in the conference season and to beat the teams that we were close to winning against last year,” she said.

She refers to her team as her family.

“The team’s strengths are definitely our connection on the court together,” she said. “The returners have played together for multiple years. We know how each other play, how to motivate each other and keep one another positive.”

Volleyball has a young team with only five returners and eight freshmen.

“Although they have done great so far, conference season is a whole new level that they need to prepare themselves for,” Schlecker said.

Men’s Soccer

“The clear goals for the season for the team are to come out on top of the league,” said Kyle Jackson, senior captain on the men’s soccer team.

Their record currently stands at 2-2-2. Their goal is to make it to the NCAA tournament.

“As a player, and more importantly a senior captain, I’ll always expect one season to be better than the last,” Jackson said. “But I do so knowing the work that will need to be put in on everyone’s part in order to do so.”

Steve Clark, the head men’s soccer coach, said they now have a young team after losing a couple key players last season.

“Many of the young lads are standing tall,” he said. “We are young, but talented and athletic.”

Jackson said the youth and talent are their greatest weaknesses and strengths.

“We have a tendency to play as individuals rather than a team,” he said. “But once we start coming together we have the chance to be the best team in the conference.”

Women’s Soccer

The 4-2 women’s soccer team is also young.

“People who look at our team may say that our age is a weakness,” Sam Brannigan, senior goalkeeper said. “However, I believe that having a young team is great because we can all grow together as a unit.”

Brannigan said her teammates play with a lot of heart.

“Whether we’re playing our best game of soccer, or we’re grinding it out with only two minutes left in the game, we will not give up and we’ll leave it all on the field no matter what,” she said.

She said it’s hard to find teammates like the ones she currently has.

“We all mesh together really well, and we are always there for each other on and off the field,” she said.

Football

On Sept. 2, the football team lost their first season opener since 2008 against Delaware Valley University. They proclaimed redemption when they beat Frostburg State University 43-7 Sept. 10.

Senior DaJahn Lowery said the team learned from their loss.

“Sometimes a loss can help and change your team around for the better and I think that what that lost did for us,” he said.

Lowery said one of the team’s strengths is the connection on defense.

“We grew closer as a team this year, especially during camp,” he said. “You can see that we trust one another on the field.”

He said there’s still a few things the team needs to work on.

“We have to be more sharp with executing our plays, doing our job and reading our keys, not turning the ball over and getting penalties was what cost us our first lost,” he said.

The following weekend, the team loss to Christopher Newport University 42-28, making their record 1-2.

Field Hockey

Coach Tracey Short said the field hockey team is stepping up to the challenges given to them.

“They are working together, improving their skills and pushing themselves to increase their fitness as well as their skill,” she said.  “The keys to success for this year’s team will revolve around communication and accountability.”

The field hockey team lost five of its six games so far this season, but senior Allie Perugini still expects improvement and a winning record.

“We are always expecting and striving for improvement, progress, and success,” she said. “We expect this season to be better than the last and are putting in the necessary work on and off the field to meet this expectation.”

She said the size of their roster will be a struggle this season.

“Having small numbers requires all players to be in top physical shape and remain mentally tough throughout the duration of every practice and game, which are both achievable requirements for us,” she said.

Perugini said their willingness to hold each other accountable for their performance and behavior and the motivation they give one another compensates for small roster.

“Each time we step on the field we are willing to put in that extra effort necessary for both individual and team growth,” she said. “Every player recognizes the uniqueness that their fellow teammates bring to the group and we embrace these individual strengths to successfully work together as a unit.”

Cross-Country

Coach Stephen Kimes said that although they lost a few good runners, he is happy with the cross-country team.

“We lost the No. 3 runner on the women’s side,” he said. “On the men’s side, we loss the No. 1 runner and school record holder. Regardless, I feel better about this team. The team atmosphere is better.”

During their first meet Sept. 17 at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the women placed sixth out of 11 teams while the men placed eighth out of nine teams.

Danae’ Carter, a senior captain and last year’s most valuable player on the women’s cross-country team, was not always a fan of the distance that comes with cross-country.

“I came to Wesley two years ago thinking I would be a 400 runner, but Coach Kimes moved me up to the 800, which made cross country really important.”

Carter said she didn’t expect to be the No. 2 runner for the women when she joined the team two years ago.

“Seeing my times get better and better each year is exciting because it shows that practice does pay off in the end,” she said.

Kimes said one of the team’s strength is their leadership. He said the men called their own meeting the other day.

“You know you have a good team when the players take ownership in their team,” he said. “Not everything has to be the coach’s direction.”

Carter said her co-captain, Dieunise Desir, is like a coach because she’s always motivating her.

“[Desir] always makes sure to stay on me about running hard and getting the most out of workouts,” she said. “She’s also good at giving me tips on how to balance being an athlete and a student.”

Carter said the team’s goal is to strive for consistency this season.

“We do a lot of training for only 5 meets this season, so we need to just compete above our best each time,” she said.

She said the hills in their races are their biggest weakness, but their strength is the amount of support they receive from one another.

“Most people don’t realize how mental our sport is,” she said. “I could come to practice drained from classes, and still hit my times because they’re constantly pushing me.”