The Southern Nazarene Crimson volleyball team is writing a brand-new playbook this year. After navigating tough rebuild periods over the last two seasons, finishing with 9 and 10 wins respectively, the Crimson Storm surged out of the gate with an unprecedented 8–0 run to open the season before dropping a tight five-set match to Stanislaus State. It marks the best season opening in program history, proving that this team’s patience and persistence are paying off.
The Crimson Storm have the right guy at the helm for this potential postseason run. Coach Kevin Ingram, now in his 26th year as SNU’s head coach, brings experience in winning games. With a career record of 469-386, Ingram has guided SNU volleyball to multiple conference championship appearances and the single most successful season in the program’s history.
This season’s team is more experienced, playing with a clear chip on their shoulder after the last two seasons.
As standout player Kate Wright puts it, “This season our team is older, and we are better at handling shifts in the game. Whether we are down several points or winning, we have been able to stay composed and play our game,” she emphasized. “Our team definitely feels like we have something to prove. We know we have potential and last season didn’t go quite how we wanted it, but we are motivated by it and determined to show that we have what it takes to win games.”
Wright, who earned Great American Conference (GAC) Freshman of the Year two seasons ago and kicked off this year as a GAC Player of the Week, is quick to point the spotlight back toward her teammates. “It just means I have the best team in the world playing with me. Volleyball truly can’t happen without a pass and a set before a swing. Our defenders have worked so hard this season, and their play has been unreal. Our setters have had amazing decision-making on the court, and each one of our attackers has scored in tight moments and given the team what we need. Riley, Emma Grace, and Hannah have all stepped up and led in moments where we needed it, keeping us calm and motivating us for the next point. In my opinion, volleyball is the definition of a team sport, and I wouldn’t rather have any other team to play this sport with.”
The squad stayed focused on the mindset needed to maintain their momentum through the rest of the schedule. “Our goal as a team each game is to go out and have fun. Yes, we work as hard as we can for every point, and there are points that go our way and points that don’t,” Wright noted.
“At the end of the day, the point is to have fun, and even though it can sound cliché, it holds so much truth because it takes the pressure off us individually and lets us play the team across the net as aggressively as possible. When we miss that, someone is quick to point it out and get our team back on track. There will be times where we miss the mark, and there already have been sets we have lost this season and haven’t played as well as we know we can. But we can learn from those moments and know we are well prepared for the games in the future, and have the ability to flip a switch when we want to.”
This season’s Crimson Corner are as confident, talented, and determined as ever. Battling through both wins and losses has equipped them with the maturity to handle high-stakes moments. They are a tight-knit group that leans on, trusts, and feeds off each other to secure wins. The Crimson Storm are off to an incredible start, and they are just getting started.
Photo provided by: SNU Athletics