Broadside Sports

John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor

George Mason University:

The volleyball team has made a strong showing this year so far, coming back from a dismal season.
Finishing their non-conference schedule, the Patriots went 11-4 before opening up their conference schedule. Mason took two of three matches at the West Virginia Invitational, before dropping the finale to the West Virginia Mountaineers. Mason won eight consecutive sets before dropping the last three to the Mountaineers.

The win surge has come on the back of a staff writer and defensive specialist.

Junior setter Fernanda Bartels earned the Co-Defensive Player of the Week award. This is the first weekly award of her career and the second Patriots’ award of the season. She was second on the team in digs and blocks in the West Virginia Invitational. The Brazilian recorded 36 digs, 11 blocks and 101 assists in the tournament. Bartels leads the CAA and is second in assists per set.

Another defensive star is Kelsey Bohman who earned the Co-Defensive Player of the Week award two weeks before her teammate.

The Patriots have tallied the most non-conference wins since their 1996 season and hoped to ride on the back of this recent success as they began conference play against the Delaware Blue Hens.

The Patriots visited the Blue Hens and Towson Tigers before opening a two-game homestand against the VCU Rams and William & Mary Tribe.

Virginia Commonwealth University:

The Rams (10-5) play the Patriots in the fourth of a five-game road trip Friday night before wrapping up the trip against the James Madison Dukes on Saturday.

Junior outside hitter and middle blocker Mariel Frey leads the team in kills with 147 on the year, averaging 2.67 per set. Frey has appeared in all 65 possible matches and is a strong player on the front line.

Junior setter Lenka Melicharkova leads the team in serving aces, recording 20 this season. She led the team with 585 assists in 2008. Melicharkova is also tied with Frey with 142 digs. Due to her obvious versatility, Melicharkova is a player to look out for in the game.

On defense, Kelsie Clegg leads the team in blocking in every blocking category.

College of William & Mary:

The Tribe (7-6) play the Patriots Saturday afternoon for their third conference game of the year. The Tribe wrapped up their non-conference schedule Sept. 19 with their third consecutive loss. Head Coach Melissa Shelton is in her second year after garnering a 19-9 record in her opening season with the Tribe. Four starters have returned from last year’s team, which ended third in the CAA.

Junior outside hitter Erin Skipper earned all-conference and all-region honors in 2008. Skipper leads the Tribe’s offense in kills, posting 132 on the year.

Senior defensive specialist Lindsay Pflugner dominates on defense. She has attained 188 digs over the year, averaging 4.7 digs per game. She leads the team by more than 70 digs.

Note: Records and statistics retrieved Sept. 23.

John Powell, Asst. Sports Editor

The George Mason Universitymen’s soccer team took on the Longwood Lancers Wednesday night. The Patriots recorded only one goal in the first half but a second-half offensive surge led to a 4-0 win.

Going into the game, Longwood had only scored only one goal, for a record of 1-3-2, with two no-score tie games. On the opposite end, Mason entered the game with a 3-2 record, backed by senior goalkeeper Sean Kelley.

In the first six minutes of the game, the Lancer sophomore goalkeeper Joel Helmick was injured and taken off the field after colliding with a Mason player. This set the tone for the game as many more players were taken off the field due to injuries from both teams throughout the game.

Neither team showed any urgency to score during the first half, as each team took only four shots. Lancer freshman backup goalkeeper Ben Eanes managed one save, while letting one other ball through. Kelley, on the other hand, made two saves, not letting any pass him by.

Coming back from last year’s season-ending injury, sophomore defender Eric Zuehsow took the ball from redshirt junior forward Irvin Martinez and knocked it in from close range for the first score of the game.
“[Coach Andrulis] was disappointed in our performance in the first half. He said what needed to be said and I think we got the results from it,” said Kelley.

Head Coach Greg Andrulis seemed disappointed with the lack of speed and style of play in the first half.
“We definitely had very high momentum. The halftime speech that coach did really pumped us up,” said junior forward Victor Freeman.

Freeman had a huge second half, credited with an assist on sophomore forward Draymond Washington’s second-half goal, and then capitalized on the breakaway by striking the ball in for a third score.
When asked about the scoring success, Freeman said, “I would think we definitely picked up in the second half. I just finished opportunities.”

Freshman forward Alhagi Toure scored the final goal of the game from close range, with the assist coming from Washington.

The shining star of the game was Kelley though, who was credited with yet another win and a shutout.
“Winning is the first objective and a shutout is the second,” said Kelley of his success. “It’s a good team effort.”

Kelley has devoted himself to excellence for Andrulis’ offense, and has been rewarded with some time off when performing up to his level.

“He’s obviously done phenomenally for us in his four years here. He’s really been the shining star for us in his career. [Kelley] made key saves in key moments of the game,” said Andrulis, who discovered Kelley in his first recruiting class.

Although there are two freshmen on offense, Kelley’s level of play still held the Lancers scoreless.
“I feel like they stepped up to the plate pretty well. Talent wise, they are well-capable of doing anything,” said Kelley on working with the young defensive line.

Freeman, coming out of junior college, was a welcome addition to the team, bringing his gameplay from off the bench.

“[These were] his first minutes of the year, he came in . . . with very high expectations so we can see a little bit of what he can do. He changed the game for us,” said Andrulis on offensive star Freeman
The Patriots will play the national champion Maryland Terrapins, bringing interest to a rematch game from last year’s Sweet Sixteen.

“We’re very fortunate that teams like Maryland and Virginia will come in and play. They understand the growth of soccer and what we’re trying to do here. It will be a battle, but this is what our program is all about,” said Andrulis of the upcoming game.

“We just need to play our game; don’t adapt to them. Let them adapt to [us]. We will fight, we will fight, and I think it will be a very good game,” added Freeman.

Conference play started with a game at Virginia Commonwealth University, then the Patriots will play their conference home opener Oct. 5 against the William & Mary Tribe.

“We’re prepared now. We needed these games to get ready for the conference. The conference is tough top to bottom; every team,” said Andrulis.

Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer

The New York Yankees accomplished a back-to-back World Series title in grand fashion: winning it three consecutive times from 1998 through 2000. Since then, no team has accomplished such a feat. The Philadelphia Phillies will have their shot this year.

Last year, not even the die-hard Phillies’ fans expected to win the World Series. When they did, it was extremely bittersweet for all fans of Philadelphia sports teams. I would know, since I have been living and dying with Philly sports for 22 years, and I was ecstatic when they won.

What really epitomizes the Phillies’ remarkable run is the support they receive from their fans. For example, my father jumped through the roof when Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske to win the World Series. My father has been a Phillies’ fan forever. After all the years of heartbreak, his reaction said it all. It had been too long, and now we expect it again.

In order to keep Phillies’ fans happy, the Phillies have to do a couple things and hope that some things fall in their favor again. The biggest key to winning another title will ultimately hinge on the pitching of the erratic Lidge. He was perfect in 48 save opportunities last season, but this year he has been pathetic, blowing an 10 saves in 40 opportunities. His earned run average is hovering around a ridiculous 7.00. To repeat, the Phillies do not need the Lidge of last year. They just need a closer that will not implode on them when the game is on the line. Even if Lidge is half the closer he was last year, the Phillies have a shot.

One big problem that could have cost the Phillies the championship is the Phillies’ lineup’s inability to score runs with runners in scoring position. They struggled with that in last year’s postseason. If it happens again, they might not be so lucky since this year’s contenders are all much better teams than those of last year. The Phillies are going to need to rely on the big bats of Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth to provide a ton of run support for their pitchers.

Phillies’ starting pitchers were a huge problem going into the All-Star break this season. As a result, the Phillies picked up two former Cy Young winners in Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez. Their impact was felt immediately, with both pitching solidly to start their Philly careers. With these additions, pitchers Joe Blanton and J.A. Happ stepped up and have been very reliable down the stretch. Then, there is their ace, Cole Hamels. He’s had an up-and-down season, but over the last month and a half, Hamels has reverted back to his dominant form from last year’s postseason run, and the Phillies are going to need him to keep it up to help guide them to another victory.

Do the Phillies have enough to repeat? Most definitely. They have the lineup needed to go up against other potent lineups like the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and even the New York Yankees. They also have a revamped rotation that is by far one of the best in the National League, let alone those heading into the postseason, but in order to repeat, they need to be consistent throughout.

The lineup has to continuously produce, their pitchers need to pitch well and Lidge needs to be halfway decent and poised to make up for this year’s disappointment. If the Phillies continue to be consistent and play up to their abilities, there is no reason they cannot make it to the World Series again and ultimately beat the Yankees for their second straight World Series title. You bet that the Philly faithful are looking forward to another victory parade down Main Street.

Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Junior middle blocker and opposite hitter Holly Goode claims that she was really bad when she first encountered volleyball in high school. Goode, who needed just two years of experience prior to joining the George Mason University women’s volleyball team, is finally at the breakout point of her career as a full-time starter.

Entering the season’s conference opener, Goode led the team with 129 kills and a .312 attack percentage. Goode has been on a tear lately, recording double-digit kills in the past five matches. During that span, she averaged 3.15 kills per set and posted a .361 attack percentage.

“Sometimes if I play well the first game with my hair a certain way, I will [have the routine to] do my hair that way [for upcoming games],” said Goode.

Goode had a career-high 11 kills against the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks last season. She already surpassed that total five times this season. Goode registered 17 kills in just the second match this season, a five-set thriller against the Georgetown Hoyas in the D.C. Volleyball Challenge.

Goode, an exercise science major, arrived at the Fairfax campus two years ago and immediately fell in love with the campus. The nature scenery attracted Goode in her decision to attend Mason. Plus, she liked the idea of being just 20 minutes from Washington, D.C.

Goode, a Virginia Beach native, played two years of both volleyball and basketball at Kempsville High School, where she was named to the All-Beach District Second Team for volleyball.

“I wanted to [give up basketball for volleyball]. I played basketball for 10 years, but I liked playing volleyball more. It is more fun and team-orientated,” said Goode.

Transitioning from basketball to volleyball, Goode recalls her early struggles during her first tryout.
“I tried out for the [high school] team and I was really bad, so I got, like, a personal trainer person to help me, and that helped me come along really fast. I just kept hitting,” said Goode.

Goode, whose biggest asset is her vertical jump, quickly picked up the game and started to see that the game was coming to her. She said her greatest volleyball moment consisted of her club volleyball team defeating the number one team in the nation during her senior year. Her skillset and ebullience for volleyball was especially useful for a school that was looking to rebound from its past misfortunes. Prior to Goode’s arrival, Mason went 11-38 in the last two seasons.

In her first season, Goode became an immediate impact and helped the team to a 14-13 record. She ranked fifth on the team with 103 kills and was third with a .212 attack percentage. Last season, she registered 71 kills and experienced a drop with a .184 attack percentage.

Goode, whose goal entering the 2009 season was to start and keep her starting position, is now shooting for an opportunity to be named to the All-CAA Team.

Goode ranks ninth in the conference in attack percentage and seventh with 2.93 kills per set. On a larger scale, her emergence as one of the CAA’s top players has been running hand in hand with Mason’s turnaround this season. Mason currently has the second-best record in the CAA at 11-4 after posting a 9-18 record last season. Although the team concluded the 2008 season with three consecutive wins, Mason was never able to recover from their long losing streaks.

“We are doing really well and we are working well as a team. We just have good freshmen that came in and stepped up, and our team is a lot better than last year’s,” said Goode. “We have the potential to host the conference tournament at the end of the season. I think that, if not, we will be first no matter where we go.”

Goode, who came into the season with 23 starts in 51 appearances, was implemented as a starter with the team losing three players to graduation last season. With a balanced team equipped with experience and youth, she has made the most of this season as a mentor.

“It’s not really that big of a deal [in becoming a more experienced player and a leader on the team] to me. I just play to be part of the team and help the team out, and if people look up to me, then I will give pointers, but I am not about myself,” said Goode.

In addition to that, the team’s success has cultivated a positive atmosphere. This season, the team outlasted their opponents in five sets three times, but recently lost a heartbreaker to the West Virginia Mountaineers, who had to rally from a two-set deficit.

“[In the West Virginia Invitational], we won the first two matches and did not finish and lost in five sets. Last year, we would play five sets and lose, but this year, we would play five sets and win. It is just that extra push and teamwork and effort that we give,” said Goode.

Let the Goode times roll.

Brian T. Chan, Sports Editor

Take the following blindfolded taste test: Pitcher A, valued at $23 million according to FanGraphs, posted a 16-6 record with a 3.21 ERA last season, and Pitcher B posted an 18-3 record with a 2.90 ERA, but was valued at $14.9 million. Which pitcher was considered for the AL Cy Young award last season?

Unlike last year, Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester faces a stiffer competition this season. Dominating the AL, Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke is the frontrunner to win the award, the first for a Royals’ pitcher since David Cone won the Cy Young 15 years ago. Like Cone, who won in the shortened season due to the infamous strike, Greinke faces a situation in which the skeptical voters may reluctantly select a representative from the team that currently sits in the cellar of the league.

I will avoid the Greinke discussion, which emerges in the media everyday, and rather provide an argument for Lester to be considered in this year’s ballot.

This season it has been a complete turnaround in the wrong direction for Lester’s teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka, although he recently had one of his best outings since returning from the disabled list.

Comparing Lester to Matsuzaka last season, Matsuzaka held the advantage in the traditional stats: wins and ERA. Matsuzaka held opponents to an AL-best .211 batting average.

The 29-year-old Matsuzaka may not have given up many hits, but he did excessively issue free passes. He gave up 5.05 walks per nine innings, most in the AL last season. The 25-year-old Lester, on the other hand, moderately walked batters, but still had a lower WHIP than Matsuzaka. As a result, Lester registered 210-1/3 innings in 33 starts (approximately 6-1/3 innings per start) while Matsuzaka had just 167-2/3 innings in 29 starts (5-2/3 innings per start).

With a 14-7 record and 3.33 ERA, Lester has a much tougher competition in this year’s AL Cy Young candidacy, which includes Greinke, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners, CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees, Roy Halladay of the Toronto Blue Jays, and Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers.

Aside from Greinke, Halladay is probably the most complete pitcher in the group with his impeccable control.

The argument for Sabathia is that he leads the AL with 18 wins and plays in New York. I do not buy this argument because the same could be said about Lester in a big market. However, Sabathia should be considered because of his post-All Star performance. If that is the case, Lester is right beside Sabathia with the exception of four wins.

Verlander leads the AL with 10.24 strikeouts per nine innings, and Lester is second with 9.94 strikeouts per nine innings. Hernandez is a groundball hawk, posting a 52.6 percent groundball rate.

Lester is a relatively balanced pitcher with a 47.9 percent groundball rate. In the Apr. 15, 2009 issue of The Wall Street Journal, Dave Cameron points out that the alternative of groundball outs lead to more durable and efficient power pitchers. Once displaced in baseball, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Joel Pineiro has revamped his career with the sinking fastball, resulting in a 61.5 percent groundball rate.

Whereas Hernandez and Halladay economize on their pitches, Verlander, on the other end of the spectrum, relies mostly on the strikeouts. Lester is caught in the middle as he is able to generate outs both ways even though he does have a high pitch count per inning.

Greinke continues to sway voters with his dominating presence, allowing just one earned run in the last 30 innings. Even though Greinke has distanced himself from the others, Lester should be considered one of the top five candidates in the AL and commended for another outstanding season.

Matsuzaka, also known as Pitcher B, received two second-place votes and finished third in the ballot with 10 voting points last year. Lester, who in this experiment is Pitcher A, was not even considered for the award whereas a 40-year-old “Moose” and two closers received votes.

Fernanda Bartels, Staff Writer

With conference games starting this weekend, the real competition begins now. I have been waiting for this time of the season since the beginning of August. We are at the point where we played enough games to become a cohesive unit, but we still have some adjustments to make.

We have improved in fundamental aspects, but we are not playing our best yet. We overcame some tough opponents, but the most amazing victories have yet to come. There is no better time during the season than now. It has been exciting especially due to the fresh start this season.

Even though we have been playing for over a month, I still have that cold feeling in my stomach when I step on the court for our first conference match. It’s amazing how that feeling doesn’t go away even after many years of volleyball.

Besides the excitement of a first game, it is also good to play our rivals. There is a big difference between playing the James Madison University Dukes and the Wright State Raiders.

In my collegiate career, I have played against Wright State once. My expectations for Wright State were based on the information our assistant coach gave us before the game.

When we play JMU, on the other hand, my expectations change. We have history with them; we have played them several times before. Between wins and losses, we followed their development as a team, as they followed ours. We know their style of play and they know ours. Knowing the opponent is what makes conference games fun. The level of the play becomes more detail-oriented. Strategies take place and every season we face new challenges.

Impressions aside, some teams do not meet the expectations we had for them. That happens because a team can change a lot after just one season.

Main players graduate, emerging rookies stand out and key injuries unfold as the season progresses. A team can also look different with the same players. That is the case with our team.

Along with the four freshmen, we have a set of returning players that are the core of our team. Although the core is the same from last season, the team looks different.

We are more mature and focused this season. We prepared ourselves for this moment during the spring, the summer and preseason. Now it’s time to see whether it paid off.

John Powell, Assistant Sports Editor

The last year has seen a gargantuan difference in stadium trends. Two $1 billion stadiums have been constructed. The world’s largest replay board was constructed not once, but twice for the same stadium. Two comparisons can be made: the billion-dollar budget baseball stadiums in New York and the differences in the two largest stadiums in the National Football League.

The new Yankee Stadium has become the monument of the New York Yankees. The Steinbrenner philosophy, “This is the Yankees, everything has to be done first-rate,” is embodied in the $1.5 billion stadium.

While many other ballparks have a relatively low seating capacity, the Yankees play in front of a stadium which accommodates 52,000 fans. The average ticket price has risen to $72.97, a 76 percent increase from 2008. There are seats for everyone’s price range. Tickets are only $5 for the obstructed view seats while the premium seats can go for up to $2,625 per game. 1,400 video monitors give fans the ultimate game experience, used for instant replays and delayed video for fans that get out of their seats for the concessions. The new Yankee Stadium is the most expensive ballpark in the game, but it is one of the best.

The New York Mets finally got rid of Shea Stadium. For years, fans in New York and around America have waited for the $800 million baseball stadium, Citi Field. The 42,000-fan capacity stadium is more economic than their New York brother, with ticket prices ranging from $11 to $695. Both New York teams missed the playoffs last year, and it appears that a change in scenery is working for at least one team’s play.

In the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium created talk and controversy through the off-season and the preseason. The $1.15 billion stadium has put the NFL’s highest worth team, according to Forbes, in a $200 million debt, which is still drastically better than many other NFL teams. Most other teams have had lessened revenue and are staring at a net loss this season.

The video boards have given people talk for the water cooler not only because they are the world’s largest replay boards, but that they have been hit countless times. Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones said in a post-game interview that the board was not a problem unless the punter was trying to hit it. Raising the board could cost more than $2 million. Yet, there is a perfect opportunity from Sept. 28 to Oct. 25, when the Cowboys go on a month-long road trip. The league controversy has ranged from rule issues with kicking the board to Tennessee Titans’ quarterback Kerry Collins having communication issues because speakers in the board pointed toward the field. Jones seems to have no concern to move or raise the board for the football season. Yet, for the U2 concert, Jones will temporarily raise the board 25 feet, only to drop it again for football.

The Cowboys still have nothing to say to the Washington Redskins, who are the most profitable team in the NFL, managing an income of $90 million last season despite the drowning economy. Cowboys Stadium’s 72,000 seats pale in comparison to the 91,704 seats that the Redskins seem to fill each week. The only place the billion-dollar stadium has a leg- up is in having 66 more suites than FedEx Field as well as more standing-only areas than the Washington rival.

This is the year of new, expensive stadiums. A trend has started so the world can see massive coliseums devoted to their favorite games and their heroes.

Fernanda Bartels, Broadside Correspondent

For opposing offenses, facing the George Mason University men’s soccer goalkeeper Sean Kelley is their worst nightmare. The Lexington, Ky. native held opponents scoreless in six of the nine final games last season.

Kelley started playing soccer when he was young. Coming from a family of athletes, the talent for sports came naturally.  His father, Scott Kelley, played basketball in college.

“[My dad] was a big influence with sports [and was] always very supportive,” said Kelley.

Kelley played baseball, basketball and soccer before focusing only on soccer. When it came down to choosing his main sport, he chose soccer over the other sports because he was “better at soccer” and also his friends’ influence helped him choose.

Kelley was a standout player in high school, where he was recognized nationally in his senior year, being nominated as a member of the NSCAA All-America team, Gatorade Player of the Year as well as winning other honors. He was one step away from Mason after he caught Head Coach Greg Andrulis’ attention.

“I was part of [Andrulis’] first recruiting class. I liked where he wanted to go with the team. I also wanted to go away from home,” said Kelley.

The senior goalkeeper enters his final season for Mason as the team captain. He also earned Preseason All-CAA Team honors. He represents leadership and experience on the field—skills much needed for this season.

The team is stocked with an influx of young talent. Kelley along with four of five other returning starters will attempt to help guide the young players for the future. In addition, the team relies on Kelley’s veteran leadership to prepare the team for another conference title and possibly another appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

“It is taking us awhile, but we have a very talented team and it is just a matter of time,” said Kelley.

Last season, Kelley won 13 games and allowed just below one goal per game. In 21 games, he recorded 10 shutouts.

“We are supposed to win [the conference]. All the other coaches pointed us as favorites. It is a lot of pressure,” said Kelley. “Last year we made it to the second round [of the NCAA Tournament]. I am hoping to make it to the third round this year,” said Kelley.

Kelley’s high expectations for his senior year are grounded in an impressive collegiate soccer career. In 2006, some of his awards included CAA Rookie of the Year, All-CAA Second Team and 2006 College Soccer News All-Freshman First Team.

In 21 games, he recorded a minuscule 0.64 goals per game with 102 saves. That was the only season where he had at least 100 saves. He also had an 87.9 save percentage, which was sixth-best in the nation.

He was selected Preseason All-CAA and won the Martin Dunphy Goalkeeper of the Year award in his sophomore year.

Last season, Kelley was selected Third-Team All-CAA selection and ranked third in the CAA in save percentage. He was also named Mason’s Student-Athlete of the Month in September.

Awards aside, Kelley has a simple goal for his final season playing for Mason.

“Play good. As long as the team does well, awards take care of themselves,” said Kelley.

After the season is over, Kelley is unsure about his next steps on the field.

“If I have a chance, I want to play pro.  But I don’t know if I’m wild enough to go to Europe or somewhere else,” said Kelley.

Chris DeMarco, Staff Writer

One has to wonder if the New York Yankees knew what they were getting when they picked shortstop Derek Jeter in the first round of the 1992 Major League Amateur Draft.

The Yankees have the Houston Astros to thank for not listening to one of their scouts, Hal Newhouser, who advocated using the first pick on Jeter, and selecting Phil Nevin instead.

All Jeter has done since then is accumulate a collection of accolades, including the Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star MVP award and a World Series MVP award.

No one would have thought that the rookie shortstop for the Yankees would have turned out to be this amazing, let alone make the starting lineup for the Yankees in 1996.

Manager Joe Torre, who was in his first year with the Yankees, took a chance and it has paid off big time.

It seems that no matter what Jeter accomplishes, he still ends up being labeled as “overrated.” A lot of critics undermine the worth of Jeter.

A lot of people claim that his age is catching up with him and that he does not play the position as well as others in the league. All Jeter does is play his heart out for the Yankees every night.

It was not until recently that people have started to compare Jeter to the all-time great Yankee players, an endlessly long list. Most of the game’s greatest players, such as Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig, were Yankees.

Jeter took over sole possession of most career hits as a Yankee, breaking Lou Gehrig’s record. The accomplishment is an amazing feat, but it is kind of disappointing that people are just now realizing how amazing Jeter truly is.

He has been constantly criticized for not being the game’s top shortstop or not winning a title in the past eight seasons. As far as some are concerned, Jeter has had his spot reserved in Cooperstown for almost the last 10 years.

Jeter has been, and still is, one of the classiest in the game. He is always approachable and always polite, even still referring to his former manager as “Mr. Torre.”

He does not let the New York spotlight get to him or ruin his image, while his teammate Alex Rodriguez is the polar opposite.

When it is all said and done, Jeter will be regarded as one of the most clutch performers of all time and will be considered one of the greatest players of all time, among the likes of Ruth, Hank Aaron and Cal Ripken, Jr.

Everyone should give Jeter the ultimate respect he undoubtedly deserves and enjoy the time he has left as a Yankee because the game might never see a player quite like him again.

Fernanda Bartels, Broadside Correspondent

The most exciting way to win in any sport happens when you rally from a deficit, when your team was behind for most of the game.

In a volleyball match, being down two sets does not mean the game is over. Instead, it means it is about to start. We have to fight to take the third set with a different mindset, now that we have nothing to lose.

The pressure is not on our side of the court anymore. After losing two sets, there are no responsibilities of winning the match. Holding back is not an option; we must leave all our feelings and energy on the court. If something went wrong in the past two sets, learn from the mistakes, but let the anger go. It is time to try every play in the playbook, and every player must push to do their best. It is essentially all or nothing.

With that attitude, we go back to the court feeling great. Even though we are losing the match, numbers have no meaning when the result is all that matters. That is when everything starts to work out for our team.

We start to work as a cohesive unit, moving well on the court and making smart plays. Point by point, we control the little details of the game. There is no such thing as ball- dropping on our side of the court.

Although we are still wearing the same uniform, we look like a different team on the court. By shutting down the opponent, we take the third and the fourth set. It feels right.

Starting the fifth set, you have the feeling that your body is full of hope, energy and momentum. When our team has that momentum going, I know that nothing can stop us from winning.

Although it is still early in the season, our team has been in this situation twice. The first time was against Kent State University during the Patriot Invitational. It was a close match, but we managed to pull off the win. The second time this happened was in the N.C. State Classic against DePaul University two weeks ago.

Even though we were leading the fourth set, we were down two sets to one. DePaul played hard and took the lead towards the end of the set. With two kills in a row by their main outside hitter Sarah Cullen, they had match point at 24-22.

DePaul had two chances to win the match, but we shut them down with good serves followed by perfect blocks. We took the match to a fifth set and dominated them from the first point of that set to the last.

After the last match, the team came together on the middle of the court for a final and strong celebration. With our arms surrounding each other’s backs, we were one.

There were no individuals. There was no distinguishing between a coach and player or starter and a bench player. There was only the excitement that involved all of us as one unit on the center of the court.

About the Writer: Fernanda Bartels is a setter for the women’s volleyball team. She is a junior and is a communication major.