Friday, November 22
Dayton, OH
1 p.m.
Davidson College
vs
George Washington
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Stacking Wins: Davidson Enters 2024 A-10 Championship as No. 4 Seed
11/21/2024 8:30:00 AM | Volleyball
Davidson volleyball kicks off the Atlantic 10 Championship with a first round match up against No. 5 George Washington this Friday, Nov. 22 at 1 p.m. The Wildcats enter the tournament as the No. 4 seed, and after wrapping up the regular season with a 15-14 overall record, head coach Chris Willis believes this is one of the most resilient and collected teams he has ever coached.Â
"Nobody's panicked, nobody's worried about outcome," he said. "The team has always been focused on what we can do to win the next point. And I've been really impressed with that."
Leading up to Friday's match, Willis' squad has been focused on getting healthy.Â
"Rest and recovery is paramount at this time."Â
Practices have been short, with heavy emphasis placed on blocking and sharpening up the fundamentals. Davidson split the regular season series with George Washington, and Willis said that in order to beat the Revolutionaries, defense and quality serving in key moments are extremely important. For senior captain and outside hitter Isabel Decker, it is about playing calm and confident throughout.
When asked what the team looks like when playing at its best, Willis and Decker had conflicting opinions. Willis preached discipline and a lack of chaos. Decker emphasized that bringing the energy is absolutely crucial.Â
"We play our best when we're really loud, cheering a ton, [and] supporting each other," she said.
It's safe to say that, when mixing the two philosophies, a frenzied, lively, yet in control unit can do some damage this weekend. And the team will need to be at their best, especially if they want to get past No. 1 Dayton.Â
The Flyers are ranked 18th in the country and have only one loss on the season. While Davidson isn't looking past George Washington, it is undeniable that Dayton is the team to beat.
Â
"Their transition game is outstanding," Willis said. "They transition from defense to offense better than anyone in the conference."Â
But Decker is confident that if the team remains aggressive, they can match up well with Dayton and advance.
Winning the conference tournament is the ultimate goal, but both Willis and Decker mentioned that it is not the only way to measure success. A common theme was daily improvement.Â
"We try to talk day-to-day about getting better and figuring out how each individual can contribute to winning the next point," Willis stated.Â
Decker agreed, highlighting that there are "so many little things besides wins and losses" that contribute to a successful season.
Willis stressed that he wasn't ready to stop coaching this group, though.Â
"They've exceeded every expectation that I could have had for them, especially this senior group. [...] I will completely miss this group, how hard they've worked, how consistent they've been, how resilient they've been, and that's re-energized me as a coach."Â
The only way to keep this group together? Stack wins.
For Decker, this postseason is the end of her collegiate career.Â
"I don't think it's hit me yet," she shared. "I feel like it'll take a while to really sink in. [I'm just excited] to get that first win."Â
Decker plans on soaking up each and every moment, staying present with a team that has meant so much to her. If Davidson makes it past Dayton, they will play for the A-10 tournament title. And if they win that? An automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. It has been over 20 years since the 'Cats have qualified, but the team is ready to make a push to secure the program's third-ever bid.
"Nobody's panicked, nobody's worried about outcome," he said. "The team has always been focused on what we can do to win the next point. And I've been really impressed with that."
Leading up to Friday's match, Willis' squad has been focused on getting healthy.Â
"Rest and recovery is paramount at this time."Â
Practices have been short, with heavy emphasis placed on blocking and sharpening up the fundamentals. Davidson split the regular season series with George Washington, and Willis said that in order to beat the Revolutionaries, defense and quality serving in key moments are extremely important. For senior captain and outside hitter Isabel Decker, it is about playing calm and confident throughout.
When asked what the team looks like when playing at its best, Willis and Decker had conflicting opinions. Willis preached discipline and a lack of chaos. Decker emphasized that bringing the energy is absolutely crucial.Â
"We play our best when we're really loud, cheering a ton, [and] supporting each other," she said.
It's safe to say that, when mixing the two philosophies, a frenzied, lively, yet in control unit can do some damage this weekend. And the team will need to be at their best, especially if they want to get past No. 1 Dayton.Â
The Flyers are ranked 18th in the country and have only one loss on the season. While Davidson isn't looking past George Washington, it is undeniable that Dayton is the team to beat.
Â
"Their transition game is outstanding," Willis said. "They transition from defense to offense better than anyone in the conference."Â
But Decker is confident that if the team remains aggressive, they can match up well with Dayton and advance.
Winning the conference tournament is the ultimate goal, but both Willis and Decker mentioned that it is not the only way to measure success. A common theme was daily improvement.Â
"We try to talk day-to-day about getting better and figuring out how each individual can contribute to winning the next point," Willis stated.Â
Decker agreed, highlighting that there are "so many little things besides wins and losses" that contribute to a successful season.
Willis stressed that he wasn't ready to stop coaching this group, though.Â
"They've exceeded every expectation that I could have had for them, especially this senior group. [...] I will completely miss this group, how hard they've worked, how consistent they've been, how resilient they've been, and that's re-energized me as a coach."Â
The only way to keep this group together? Stack wins.
For Decker, this postseason is the end of her collegiate career.Â
"I don't think it's hit me yet," she shared. "I feel like it'll take a while to really sink in. [I'm just excited] to get that first win."Â
Decker plans on soaking up each and every moment, staying present with a team that has meant so much to her. If Davidson makes it past Dayton, they will play for the A-10 tournament title. And if they win that? An automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. It has been over 20 years since the 'Cats have qualified, but the team is ready to make a push to secure the program's third-ever bid.
15-14 overall ?
— Davidson Volleyball (@DavidsonVB) November 16, 2024
11-7 A-10 record ??
20th winning record at home ???
Fourth-straight winning season ????
Up next ? @atlantic10 Championship ?? pic.twitter.com/pIuPAnZt2F
Players Mentioned
OH
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