I watched the anger on the girls’ faces nearly every week. I listened to Head Coach David Schwepker display his disappointment and misplaced judgment on the floor of the court.

Last season was difficult, to say the least, for the Murray State volleyball team.

The Racers missed vital plays, dropped balls and hit serves into the net – basic skills just weren’t there. They lacked communication on the floor, the biggest mistake a volleyball team could make.

Last season, the volleyball team lost 20 games and won six. Its serve and kill errors surpassed its opponents’ with ease.

Something had to be done.

The girls remained strong-willed; they were courageous when they walked on the floor. The women knew they had the ability to win games.

Now, the team stands with 10 wins and four losses. It isn’t perfect, and there is still work to do, but they have improved monumentally.

Errors have shrunk in every category compared to their opponents’ – the Racers are handling the ball with much more precision and communication than last season.

To see the women improve the way they have is incredibly rewarding. When I came to The News as a sophomore, ready to write whatever I was given, I rejoiced when my sports editor gave me the volleyball beat.

I played the sport as hard as I could in high school, and I miss it every single day. Covering Racer volleyball gave me a connection again to the sport I desperately wanted to play.

I cheered the girls on as if they were my teammates and dreaded all of the interviews on the court where the Racers lost. I could feel the disappointment they felt after the close matches and the final dropped balls.

So even though I am no longer covering volleyball, and let me say Taylor Crum is doing an excellent job, I follow it closely and praise their success.

I want to see them have a winning season; I want Schwepker and his staff to experience victory again.

I know that sometimes, sports like volleyball fall behind all of the other sports at Murray State. But if you’ve ever played a sport, you know it doesn’t matter how popular what you play is, it’s about the passion and the energy you leave behind on the court.

So I ask you, Racer fans, to cheer on these women with me, and congratulate them for having a season Murray State volleyball hasn’t seen in a few years. Help give them the confidence and support they need.

Column by Lexy Gross, Editor-in-Chief