The women’s volleyball team maintains positivity like they did in their senior day match versus Chaminade on Saturday, Nov. 9 as they get close to their 10th consecutive 20-win season.
Photo by Steven Mercado
Sit through any set of an Azusa Pacific women’s volleyball match and one thing will be evident: The relationships among the players go beyond the term “teammates.”
“There have been people who watch our games and they’re like, ‘You guys look like you’re really having fun out there,’ or ‘You guys are really getting along,'” sophomore outside hitter Mattie Shelford said. “I think that really does stand out. You watch teams on the court, even other Christian schools, and you don’t see the same thing.”
The camaraderie among the Cougars is something evident not only to the crowds, but even to prospective players.
“I know we’ve had many recruits up here, and a lot of these girls that are currently here, who have said that just the close-knits of this team is one of the main reasons why they chose Azusa Pacific,” head coach Chris Keife said.
Junior outside hitter Alicia Utke, a transfer from Golden West College, highlighted the contrast between her previous school’s program and APU’s.
“At my old college everyone was playing for themselves and not the team, really. I mean, we were friends, but on the court it was basically just playing a sport,” Utke said. “I think we have a really good team chemistry here. We don’t have any problems on or off the court. It helps in our game too.”
Senior middle blocker Christy Cain attributed the success of the team’s relationships to the players’ “like-minded” attitudes.
“We know that when we step out on the court it’s not for ourselves, it’s to better the team and to better the people around us and to ultimately represent the program really well,” she said.
Senior defensive specialist Emily Ingalls highlighted the element of integrity that is encouraged by Keife as another key to the team’s successful dynamics. It’s seen in everything from not fighting calls during matches to what the players wear.
“We don’t want standouts, even with headbands or other things that we wear. He wants us to be calm, cool and collected on the court and just to play with integrity,” Ingalls said. “We earn our points, we make plays and we work together to win. We don’t need a big show. We’re well-balanced.”
Balance is another key component in the Cougars’ program. According to Keife, the team practices only two to three days a week for two hours and 15 minutes at most.
“I don’t want the girls to be all consumed in volleyball,” Keife said. “We try to limit some of the time that they’re in volleyball so that they can experience other things as well and definitely stay on top of their academics.”
The focus on balance is an obvious contributor to the success Keife has had in his 10 seasons as head coach for Azusa Pacific. In that time, he has recorded 243 wins and just 101 losses. At the conclusion of his ninth season, he had a winning percentage of .707 and is currently one win away from tabbing his 10th consecutive 20-win season.
However, despite being what many believe is one of the best head coaches the volleyball program has seen, Keife attributes the success of the program to the players.
“They’re the ones that are out there, they’re the ones that are having to play, they’re the ones that have to execute at the clutch moments to win the matches,” the head coach said.
The unique characteristics and the coaching of the program have translated well into NCAA Division II play. In the Cougars’ second year as PacWest members, they sit comfortably in the fifth spot of the 13-member conference with an 11-6 record.
“It’s striving for our best to honor the God-given talents we have and to enjoy each other and fellowship with one another as we grow and as we’re going through the trials and the triumphs together,” Keife said.
Azusa Pacific will face Notre Dame de Namur on Thursday, Nov. 14 in the first of a three-game road series to conclude the regular season before competing in the NCCAA Regionals on Friday, Nov. 22.