May 12, 2023 | by Taylor Pill

WATERTOWN, Wis. -- At the semester's-end post-season Athletic Awards Assembly, new head coach Shawn Spencer reflected on a growth-filled 2023 campaign and highlighted team awards that came at the end of a season of persistence and payoff for Maranatha Men's Volleyball.

The story of the program has always been one of grit and determination, as they've built themselves into a six-year varsity program from the ground up. This year their determination was on full display, as they had to manage a disappointing and rigorous 29-match winless streak, all without winning a single set.

But when most teams would simply throw in the towel, throwing in the towel was simply not an option for this group. It just wasn't who they were. Despite the losses, the group's determination resulted in increasingly competitive sets, and when they stepped into the Van Dixhorn Arena on March 13 to face Trinity International, the match felt different.

It was the difference of an earned confidence that comes after most teams would have lost it.

Maranatha played Trinity International in a tight opening set, losing 23-25, but that was the final set loss in the losing streak. Early kills from Jacob Valeria fueled an 11-5 advantage in the second, and Maranatha kept the foot on the gas all the way through the finish, winning their first set of the season 25-15.

The Trojans kept things interesting in the pivotal third set, forcing a nail-biting finish after a 20-20 tie. But two massive kills from Tyler Lacock tipped the scale in Maranatha's favor, and the Sabercats reversed the storyline from the opener, winning 25-23 to do something they hadn't done all season: lead a match.

The difference in the Sabercats' belief was noticeable. You could feel it. Because it had been refined in the heat of defeat, and what emerged on the other side of that crucible of disappointment was a confidence immune to the scoreboard.

In the fourth set, the inevitable happened: the Sabercats won by their biggest margin all match, riding a five-kill performance from Valeria to win 25-14 and take the match 3-1. The celebration on the court told the whole story. It was the kind of celebration that comes after going through low points, growing pains, and everything that comes with that. The Sabercats may have concluded the season with one final loss at Mount Mercy, but the story of the win at Trinity is the story of the program itself:

never give up.

"It's been my privilege to work with the volleyball team this year and to be involved with a team with so much potential," said Coach Shawn Spencer. "We saw a lot of changes, we had a brand new coach and practices were different, but the guys kept coming every week and it was admirable what you put up with and how we finished."

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AWARDS

The team awards from Coach Shawn Spencer were as follows:

Offensive Player of the Year - Zach Mueller

Defensive Player of the Year - Jordan Hoffmann

Christian Character Award - Luke Nason

Awards from the NCCAA National Office were as follows:

Scholar-Athlete - Caleb Goetz, Titus Huston, Zach Mueller, Drew Smith, Ben Yenger

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SENIORS

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