May 12, 2022 | by Taylor Pill

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- At the semester's-end post-season Athletic Awards Assembly, interim head coach Micah Shepard named four team awards as a wrap-up to the 2022 Maranatha Men's Volleyball season - their fifth year on the varsity level. 

The team showed the same qualities that helped shape the program in the first place, as their grit, team chemistry, and work ethic produced some memorable moments during an otherwise disappointing 2022 season. The team finished with a 4-20 record but won their opening match of the season in a five-set thriller over Central Christian College of Kansas. Phillip Holbrook, the Sabercats' offensive powerhouse, led the team with 11 kills that day while Jared Fopma cashed in 10.

After challenging losses against the top three teams in the NCCAA, the Sabercats were gaining confidence from their experience, and they punctuated the regular-season schedule with some thrilling wins and four matches against ranked NAIA schools.

The Sabercats finished out their wins with a wild 3-2 win over Roosevelt at the Judson Invitational before sweeping Wisconsin Lutheran College twice in late February. And while the Sabercats didn't win their final match of the season against No. 13 Mount Mercy University, the Blue and Gold took a set from the Mustangs. That set win was characteristic of the resolve the members of this program have showed as they've built a program from next to nothing. And it was the first time in program history that they'd won a set off of a ranked NAIA team.

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AWARDS

The team awards from Coach Micah Shepard were as follows:

Statistical Award - Peyton Warner

Statistical Award - Phillip Holbrook

Iron Sharpening Iron Award - Peter Holloway

Trust in Christ Award - Jared Fopma

Awards from the NCCAA National Office were as follows:

Scholar-Athlete - Peter Holloway, Zach Mueller, Drew Smith, Peyton Warner

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SENIORS

The Sabercats recognized three men that concluded their fourth (and fifth) season: Jordan Hoffmann, Drew Smith, and James Rossiter.