This past weekend the Ashland University Volleyball team traveled to Hammond, Indiana to compete in the Great Midwest Region Crossover. 

Friday, Oct. 14 the Eagles swept both Indianapolis and Michigan Tech in three sets, continuing their winning streak to 15, the longest winning streak since before 1987. 

“I don’t think there is any pressure [with the winning streak], it’s just us proving to ourselves and other people that we’re the team we’ve always known we are,” said senior middle hitter, Anna Krikke. 

Following the two wins, the Eagles were placed in the championship match on Saturday against the 19-1, Quincy University. 

Putting up a fight, the teams went into five sets, Ashland falling to Quincy in the fifth and final set 10-15. 

Despite the loss, the team celebrated Anna Krikke for setting a new program record for a single-match record for block assists with 11.

Following the tournament, Krikke, Krupar and Peck all received all-tournament team recognition.

With their focus back on the GMAC [Great Midwest Athletic Conference], the Eagles’ next match comes Friday, Oct. 21 against Trevecca Nazarene, who Ashland swept at the beginning of the season. 

Last season the Eagles finished just over .500 but are on track to surpass that this season, currently sitting at 18-6. The difference between this season to last according to senior defensive specialist, Stephanie Smith, is the momentum they’ve been able to create without Covid protocols standing in the way.

“We worked hard but the circumstances were against us. We were without a lot of our girls for weeks at a time, the talent was there but we never really got to put it together,” said Smith. “This season we have our whole team, we have a lot of returners, and the incoming freshman mesh so well.”

With continued success Head Coach Kevin Foeman has been looking towards the future and the season still at play.

“This team is built to go far. I think we’ll have success,” said Foeman. “But I think how we finish and where we finish, I think we’re built to make a little push in the conference tournament and we’ll see about the NCAA tournament.”

The GMAC tournament will be held Nov. 10-12 and the NCAA tournament will follow.