THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13

9:14 a.m.

The team is starting to slowly gather in the lobby to head out and go for their morning workout at St. Thomas. The group seems to be a lot livelier than most teams would at this time in the morning. They all have gotten a good night's rest and look ready for the task at hand.

We slowly board the bus and get ready to pull out and leave for UST. Usually the team will count off by numbers to let Tim and Bob know that everyone is on the bus. For some reason this morning the call to count off never come and the bus starts to head out the hotel parking lot. Just as we are entering onto the street, someone realizes that the three seniors are missing. The bus driver tries to back up into the parking lot but a car had already blocked his path so he decides to go around the block and come back to the hotel. As we are heading down the street the three seniors, Jill Hance, Abby Scheel and Anna Tinkham come out from the hotel and watch as the bus starts to pull away. The look on their faces was great as they think they are being left behind.

The bus heads around the block and the three seniors are there to meet it when it comes back to the hotel. In the meantime, Tim and Bob have decided to head to the back of the bus to take the "priority" seats usually filled by the trio. When they come on the bus, the usual smart comments and remarks are made and then they head to their usual seats only to see that they are taken. They decide to squish into the last two rows of the bus that face each other anyway. What ensues for the next 15 minutes as we head to St. Thomas is one of the funniest exchanges I have heard on a bus at 9:15 in the morning.

Bob starts out by needling Maggie Olson who is sitting in the seat directly in front of the two back rows. That quickly deteriorates into the old Saturday Night Live sketch where Rob Schneider sits at his desk in the copier room and makes fun of everyone's name as they try and make copies. Bob does a "spot on" imitation and starts to call Maggie - "the Magginator", "Ole, Ole Olson", "Maggie Blinkin Olson" and on and on. By the time he is finished, Anna, Abby and Jill are on the ground laughing and Maggie, who is listening to music, is beat red.

Other highlights from the conversation on the way to practice include:

- Abby telling about how her dad is a pilot and flies small planes but she doesn't like to fly with him because she is scared to fly at all. That conversation turns into a story about how one Bob had convinced Abby, who is from Fergus Falls, that he had been stopped at the Fergus Falls airport and detained by the intense security they have there. Abby fell for the story and went on to ask Bob all about it even though she is from the town and had been at the airport before (there is no security station at the airport which consists of just one building).

- Anna describing how she was kept up by Abby snoring and how she repeatedly tried to wake her up but to no avail. That led to some of the players on the team discussing ways to wake people up with one of them being putting a pillow over their face (just in face). That led to junior Dana Wermers showing her "psycho eyes" face as if sneaking up on someone - it was hilarious!

- Abby and Anna describing the awesome game of movie trivia they had last night. Jill then interjected that it went on for three hours and interrupted her marathon session of watching "America's Funniest Home Videos". Abby then declared he love for Anna's ability to play movie trivia from all different genres. They tried to stump me with a question from the movie "Speed". (what was the name on the sweatshirt worn by the Sandra Bullock character? A: Wildcats). I was able to get that answer but then stumbled on having to name three characters from the movie "The Goonies". That led into imitations of some of the lines from the movie which led to more laughter.

- Perhaps the biggest highlight was when the story of when Dana and Erin Sykora serenaded the entire bus with their rendition of the song of Psalm 141 - a song that they had heard in chapel that day and that features a "round". It seems that Dana and Erin kept singing and singing the song over and over and over and every time they used their opera singing voices. From the reaction of the other players, it was like scraping your nails on a chalkboard over and over.

Erin was called to the back of the bus and the two were asked to sing the song again. After a very funny warm up period, the two started going and it was actually very good. However, after awhile it started to get a little tiresome and if asked to sit through an hour of that, one could see why people would go crazy from listening to the two belt out the song.

That conversation led to the question of the day. When Dana was telling about how she had heard the song in chapel. Abby asked, "why did you go there?" Everyone went silent and just looked at Abby for awhile. She then realized what she had asked and quickly tried to recover. Unfortunately the damage was done, and on this team, that leads to more good-natured teasing.

9:28 a.m.

The bus pulls up to the entrance to the gym and the players file out and head into the arena. It is easy to see why this team has been so successful. Despite losing their best player from a year ago and having seven freshmen on the team, and at times starting four first-year players, the leadership and character of the three seniors are the best I have seen displayed by a Cobber team. Jill, Abby and Anna are the perfect combination of intensity, talent, hard work, dedication and caring that have helped the team win 20 games and reach another NCAA Tournament when the season started with so many questions. The three have all put their stamp on the team on and off the court.

Jill is like the team mother and makes sure that everyone is taken care of and has everything they need. She knows exactly what needs to be done and allows Tim and Bob the comfort of not having to constantly make sure the team is doing what they are supposed to and keeping them on task. She has gone through a lot over the last year with her Dad dying of cancer and trying to keep up with her class work and continue to play at a high level. On the outside, she seems to have handled all the ups and downs with great character and a never-ending devotion to her teammates. Jill is the one player I can really relate to on the team because of her background and what she has gone through. We both went to the same high school (which is rare since we are both from the Twin Cities area and she is the only athlete to ever play at Concordia that has gone to Benilde-St. Margaret's) and we both lost a parent while we were around college age. I know what she is going through and I realize what kind of a person she is to have gone through so much and handled it so well. She will be a terrific teacher when she leaves Concordia and an even better mother. She will be missed next year.

Abby keeps the team alive with her spirit off the court and in matches with her athletic ability on the court. When she came to Concordia she was very raw and full of promise. She has turned that into a tremendous career - especially her last two seasons. Lately she has been playing at a completely different level and has carried the team on her back at times. She has a wonderful curiosity about her that helps her teammates feel involved at all times. She also has a great intensity about her when she steps on the court that offsets her playful demeanor off the court. There have been many pictures posted on the website of Abby in mid yell after the team won another clutch point. She has inherited the role of the dominant front line player this season and has carried on the tradition started by Jackie Barten and handed down through the years.

Anna is the team leader of the group. She provides the team with focus and intensity. She makes everyone feel like they are the most important member of the team and is truly a friend to all 14 players on the team. She has gone from a bench player during her first two seasons to one of the best defensive players in school history. She has the school record in career digs and digs in a single season. The only way she got to that point was through hard work and determination - two qualities she has passed on to the team in every practice and every game. Anna is one of those rare players that everyone can relate to. The players that never get to play in the match can relate because they know she was one of them when she started her career. The players that play every match can relate because they see how well she does and see that she is never satisfied with where she is at and always wants to get better.

On a personal note she will be the player most missed because she also works in the sports information office once the volleyball season is over. She is the head of the crew that works with basketball and has used the same work ethic that she shows on the volleyball court in the "work" arena. She is also the official National Anthem singer of Concorida and has come to the rescue on too many occasions to name. Her voice is unbelievable and she is the only person I have ever heard sing the national anthem and then get a huge ovation from the crowd, the Concordia players, the opposing team and the opposing team's coaching staff.

10:39 a.m.

The team has gone through a very focused practice and is headed back to the bus to leave for the hotel. The rest of the day will be spent resting and then heading to eat at 2 p.m. From there they will head over to St. Thomas to watch the earlier matches and then get ready for their first tournament action. If the practice session is any indication of where the team is at, then they are very ready for their first national tournament match!

1:59 p.m.
The team heads back onto the bus to begin their odyssey that will either take them back home or onto the next round. They are headed for lunch and then to St. Thomas to watch some of the earlier matches. With four MIAC teams in the regional, it’s a good way to get to see your conference foes and be able root for them against non-conference opponents. There is a distinct possibility that there could be four MIAC school in the semifinal giving the Central Regional a Minnesota flavor and a spot for a league member in the Elite 8 – a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since St. Olaf made it to the Final Four back in the early 1990’s.

I am headed out to lunch with some of the other SID’s in the conference so I have to step away from the team for a short while. When I see them next, they will be ready to play in the biggest match of the season. Their demeanor will change from easy-going, laid back and laughing to intense, focused and ready to go.

3:34 p.m.
I am setting up in the press box to prepare for the live audio broadcast (which should be quite an adventure!) when the Cobbers come striding into the gym to watch the second match of the day between Gustavus and UW-Eau Claire. In the first match, St. Ben’s came from a 1-0 deficit and rallied to beat Simpson 3-1. The All-MIAC semifinals have started off on a good note. The team files into the end of the gym and sits together as they watch the match. There will be no need to chart the teams playing during this match. If CC gets to the semifinals, they can then come and scout the winners of the first two matches on Friday.

The talkative Concordia team is a lot quieter as they sit and watch. It is nearing match time and they are headed into their match mode.

5:01 p.m.
Loras has already taken the floor and sits and waits for the warm-up time to begin. You can tell it is their first time in the NCAA Tournament as their jitters are evident from across the gym. You know they just want to get the match started and get into the flow of their game. Concordia finally appears from the locker room and the two teams start the warm-up process. It is a well choreographed routine that the team goes through before every match. At one point during the pregame routine, the team comes together and lets out screams and a cheer. I know that they are ready to play because the cheer is the loudest I have heard all season and they are very intense, something I haven’t seen in awhile.

The one anomaly about this team is that they are better on the road then they are at home. Four of the team’s five losses have come at home this season. They are 14-1 on the road. One of the reasons behind the two different records comes from the fact when they are on the road, they are a family. They eat together, sleep together and just have to worry about volleyball. When they are at home there are classes to worry about, friends to talk with, families to take care of and tons of distractions. The difference with this team has been obvious the last 24 hours. They enjoy being around one another and having to sit on the bus, in restaurants and at the hotel is like giving a chocoholic the keys to the Hershey factory.

The dreams of an All-MIAC semifinal were shattered in the second match. UW-Eau Claire rarely made a mistake and cruised to a 3-0 win over Gustavus. I tell the Gustie broadcast team that maybe it will be an every-other-MIAC kind of day (little do I know how true that will be).

6:00 p.m.
The teams enter the arena accompanied by music that the NCAA plays before every match. It is a trumpet fanfare and lets the players, coaches and fans know that the time has come for one team to keep their dream alive and the other to have their season end. The players are introduced and I start the audio broadcast. We are using a new provider for the audio broadcast and I just hope everything will go well. I almost had a huge let down before the match. As I was getting ready for the broadcast, I went to plug in the system that connects the phone line to the headset and I realized I had forgotten the power cord in my office. I had been testing the new equipment during the week and didn’t put the power cord into the bag.

One of the things about being an SID is that you learn to deal with small emergencies around game time. Lucky for me the equipment also has a battery slot for power. I open the slot to find no batteries – uh oh. It gets worse as I realize that the equipment takes 9 volt batteries. Not a good thing to notice less than 30 minutes before first serve. I start to think about my options and I remember seeing a store in the student union located next to the gym. I start to search through the bag wondering if I had ever stored any batteries in one of the pockets (it is an older bag I used a couple of years ago). I get to the final pocket and there it is, a package of gold! Three 9 volt batteries. I do a little dance and take it as a good omen for the upcoming match. If I can pull 9 volt batteries out of thin air then surely the Cobbers can pull together for the win.

6:17 p.m.
The match started well for CC as they take a 4-1 lead over a Loras team that still has a case of the nerves. Concordia freshman Greta King has started the match on fire. She will have six of the first seven points for CC. Unfortunately, the Duhawks have settled into the match and are starting to work their offensive sets. Their best hitter is a player that transferred from DI Xavier. She played in every match for Xavier last season and even played in the NCAA DI Tourney. She was named to the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie Team and it is easy to see she is the difference maker. When the ball comes off her hand on a kill attempt it has a different thumping sound then the rest of the players. She can swing hard and make adjustments in mid jump – not a good sign for CC. I wonder why she would choose to transfer to Loras but that is the beauty of DIII athletics, you never know when a franchise present is waiting under the tree.

The Duhawks catch up and then pull away in the middle of set 1. Cobber lose 25-19 and can’t afford to get down 2-0, a bad theme that has played out several times over the past couple of weeks. King finishes the first set with six kills. She has been a one-person attack and needs help. The help comes in the form of her freshman teammate Jenna Green. Green, the team’s top front line player and MIAC Rookie of the Year, has been on the bench for most of the first set. She has been nursing a muscle pull in her stomach, something that happened in practice on Tuesday. Tim and Bob have been trying to have her rest as much as possible and she hasn’t done a lot in the two practices. On Wednesday you could tell that it bothered her whenever she went to hit the ball on a kill shot. If Jenna can’t play at a high level, then CC will have to scrape for every point.

The answer to her injury question is posted in the second set when she has six kills and joins King to form a two-person wrecking crew. Green has a couple of patented kills where she swings out of her shoes and absolutely powders the ball onto the court. Things begin to look for Concordia as they take set two – 25-20.

The third set goes to Loras as they return to the form they showed in the latter stages of set one. Loras’ setter is the IIAC MVP and she is all over the court. She can play at the net, go to the back line to dig and can get to any bad pass and make a perfect set. She helps the Duhawks hit .268 in the third set and earn a 25-21 win to take a 2-1 lead. After having 15 assists in the first two sets, the conference MVP steps up and has 17 in the third set alone. The DI transfer and IIAC MVP are finding their stride and are threatening to knock CC out in the first round.

The pivotal moment of the match happens in the fourth set. The Cobbers had bolted to a 4-0 lead and all looked right with the world. Loras then stepped on the gas pedal and before you can say “holy moly guacamole”, the Duhawks are up 10-5. The match is getting pushed to the edge and Loras looks all too happy to push CC into abyss of next season. Concordia then shows their character and all those moments spent together laughing, sharing and caring come together. It is like a shot of adrenalin goes through the team and they rally to tie the score at 10-10. Loras shows great resolve. After a timeout they return the favor and go back ahead by five. The bad news is that know they are only 10 points away from winning the match at 15-10. CC once again refuses to lose and give up. Led by the seniors, they crawl, scrape and fight for every ball, every dig, every pass, every kill and every point. Suddenly Uncle Momentum has returned wearing maroon and gold and CC puts together a streak of six straight points. They are now leading 16-15 and the Cobber faithful are on their feet. The teams then trade points until Concordia busts it open with one final run after the score was tied at 20-20. Set three to Concordia and now the match is in the hands of the Cobbers. Unlike past matches where CC was trying to just stand on the front door and maybe get a chance to walk in the door for the victory, today Concordia looks like the team that wants to bust down the door and make sure there is no doubt about the win.

Set five hangs in the balance with eight ties as the teams are deadlocked at 10-10. Whichever team can hold a serve will come away with the win. Loras tied the score at 10-10 and Tim quickly called timeout sensing that the match will swing in the next two points. His keen intuition pays off as they get a pair of kills from Green. The pivotal point comes when CC is able to hold serve – a serve taken by senior Anna Tinkham. In the last three points for CC, two seniors have literally willed the team to points. With the score tied at 8-8 Jill Hance gets a service ace after her serve hits most of the net but somehow bends over the tape and falls for the winner. You can’t help but think that there was some divine intervention on the shot to help it over the net. Tinkham has put CC up 12-10 on another one of her rope serves. Loras can’t get a good offensive set off the serve and the Cobbers are given a free pass on defense. Hance makes a perfect set to Green and she pummels the ball for a winner. CC up by two, needing only three points for the win and looking every bit the part of a second-round participant.

Loras gets to within one before CC puts up two straight points to lead 14-11. On match point Green gets her 18th kill of the match and Concordia has pulled off the win. The match Green had is amazing. She could barely swing on Wednesday and on Thursday she is playing like the MIAC Rookie of the Year. She has that aura about her that is special. She knows when to carry a team and has the intensity to take over a match at any point. Tim and Bob are going to be a lot smarter in the next three years being able to pencil Jenna Green into the lineup ever match.
The win is far from a one, or two, player show. Once again Concordia has shown the effects of having a real team. While Loras played nine players, CC rolled through 13 players and most had a significant role in the win.
The team huddles together after a brief awards ceremony and then heads over to the stands for the traditional post-match talk with family and friends.

Tim and Bob decide to stay around and watch the first set of the next match before leaving for dinner. The team slowly files out of the locker room and heads to the stands to sit together and watch St. Thomas and UW-La Crosse play.

After La Crosse pulls off the win in the opening set, the team heads for the door and the bus. It’s been about six hours since they last ate and most of them are starving.

9:14 p.m.
The bus pulls into the Olive Garden and the old Cobber team has returned – laughing, teasing, telling stories and just enjoying being around everyone else.

The Olive Garden staff does an awesome job in getting the orders taken and then handing out bread sticks and salad. Abby Scheel, fresh off a seven-kill, four-block performance, has three bowls of salad. She declares while serving up her third bowl, “salad is like air – it just doesn’t fill you up.” Abby is a one-person anecdotal goldmine. She has a heart and soul the size of the Red River Valley and is just a happy person. Nothing ever seems to get her down and she is always coming up with an interesting and unique viewpoint on any subject. She ends up stealing the show at dinner. The top line of the evening is about hiccups. Seems that Abby never gets the hiccups and absolutely loves getting the hiccups. At some point she tells everyone that it is her birthday on Monday. Without missing a beat, Tim tells her that he is going to get her some hiccups for her special day. Everyone is laughing out loud by now and Anna Tinkham then starts to act out what it would be like for Abby to open a box with hiccups inside – hilarious!

The team is joined at dinner by former All-American Michelle Honek. She graduated last year and knows most of the players on the team. It doesn’t take her long to fit right back into the mix and Bob wastes little time in giving her a hard time about her friend Luke and all the old Honek stories.

It’s a great tradition that Tim and Bob have started and even though players come and go, they are always part of the family. They are welcomed back at any time and always made to feel special. It is a place where they know they will always belong.

The dinner finishes with the waitress bringing mints to the table. Abby then tells everyone that she really doesn’t have to have dessert because she just likes to dine on the mints.

It is finally time to go and everyone looks like they have just got up from Thanksgiving dinner. They are well fed and tired – and extremely happy.

On the way back to the hotel, the team finds out that La Crosse has pulled off the upset and beaten St. Thomas. There is a moment of awe as the news spreads through the bus. They can’t believe that the Tommies are out and that they will play La Crosse.

10:22 p.m.
The team pulls into the hotel parking lot. Once the bus is stopped, Tim holds an impromptu team meeting and goes over tomorrow’s itinerary. Since La Crosse won, Concordia will be the higher seed which means they will have their practice time at noon. It also means that they will wear their gold uniforms again.

After the team files into the hotel, Tim and Bob debate on whether they should go to St. Thomas and have the uniforms washed or do them at the hotel. They are met in the lobby by Anna Tinkham’s parents and they continue to discuss what would be the easiest solution – not a bad problem to have after your first-round match.

The rest of the team has gone to their rooms and judging by the looks on their eyes as they got off the bus, they will be asleep within the next 20 minutes. Another day has passed and they are one step closer to their dream of making the Elite 8. Only time will tell what will happen. One thing is for sure, after tonight’s match, the team will face whatever challenges they are given as a team.