WATERTOWN, Wis. -- The 2021 Sabercats Men's Volleyball season is in the rear-view mirror, and head coach Regina DeLozier announced the team awards at the recent Maranatha Athletic Awards Assembly, as the program reached the milestone of 4 seasons at the NCCAA/NCAA intercollegiate level.

The 2021 Sabercats Men's Volleyball team persevered through an uncertain season schedule and difficult competition - they played just 18 matches, and 4 of those were against opponents that appeared in the NAIA National Top-25 rankings.

The season started with a 7th-place finish at the NCCAA National Invitational, and the greatest difficulty of the regular season was the Sabercats being at the mercy of playing anyone willing to schedule a game. With conference and COVID-related stipulations, the Sabercats went from choosing their opponents in previous seasons to basically taking what they could get in 2021.

That resulted in a rigorous schedule against NAIA teams - mostly powerhouses - and the Sabercats had to settle for just 1 regular-season win. But the win was that much sweeter, as it came at home in a 4-set battle against Cornerstone.

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We just beat Cornerstone for our first home win of 2021 ��

Maranatha 3
Cornerstone 1

(25-20, 27-29, 25-23, 25-18) pic.twitter.com/atFqqS59z8

— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) March 13, 2021

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"We had a great preseason, headed off to Nationals, and we only had one game on the schedule after that," DeLozier said. "After countless emails and phone calls, we ended up having a season with NAIA teams. We played a very difficult schedule but we had to think outside the box so we could actually have a season for our senior-heavy team.

"[Coaching this team] always proves to be a blessing for me. I enjoy what this team puts into every practice and game - their energy, their funny comments, their willingness to admit their weaknesses, and their hard work to build their new skills. I want to thank them for allowing me to be their coach."

NUMBERS

The Sabercats appeared in the record books multiple times, as they still had a number of statistical achievements on a personal and team level. Only the major highlights (top-3 entries) are listed below:

(Updated season records will be available at mbusabercats.com/records - if you have a question, please contact Taylor Pill: taylor.pill@mbu.edu)

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AWARDS

The team awards from Coach DeLozier were as follows:

Statistical Awards - Phillip Holbrook, Taylor Dafoe

Focus on Christ Award - Joel Smith (Consistent with team verse of Hebrews 12:2)

Iron-Sharpening-Iron Award - James Rossiter

Besides that, multiple student-athletes gained recognition from the NCCAA for their work on the court and in the classroom:

Taylor Dafoe earned NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week honors after the last week of the season. Dafoe was the first-ever student-athlete from the program to earn the honor, and he led the team in 2021 with 6.16 assists per set and 97 total digs. The fourth-year setter and team captain passed 1,500 career assists in his final match as a Sabercat - a mark that stands as the program record.

Dafoe and 7 others earned NCCAA Scholar-Athlete status as well: (Dafoe), Isaac McKee, James Rossiter, Drew Smith, Joel Smith, Steve Wagner, and Peyton Warner all earned the honor, making Maranatha the most-represented institution in the 2021 NCCAA Men's Volleyball Scholar-Athlete listings.

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OUTLOOK

The Sabercats lose some key players after the 2021 season: seniors Taylor Dafoe, Isaac McKee, James Rossiter, Joel Smith, and Steve Wagner all played their final game for Maranatha.