Another Season for the Books

Closing Out the Soccer and Volleyball Season
Thanksgiving break is just a few days away, and basketball season is in full swing. That also means that the volleyball and soccer seasons have come to an end. Two weeks ago, both the men’s soccer team and the women’s volleyball team closed out their year with the annual NCCAA regional tournament. Now they’ve put away their shin guards and knee pads to wait for next fall and the start of a new year. 

This year was a building year for the soccer team. At the start of the season, team captain Brayan Martins shared the goals the team had as they headed into the year. The main focus was learning how to play together and building team chemistry. The season didn’t turn out exactly as planned, with all games except for three ending in a loss. The men put their hearts into the game, and even with the challenges they faced, they built something even more valuable than a trophy or medal.

Dominick Maldonado, also a team captain, said this: “We didn’t win in the way we wanted to, but we won a brotherhood. It sounds kinda corny, but to me that was a win.” Dom is a senior from Hutchinson, KS, about to graduate as an Occupational Therapy Assistant. He played soccer throughout high school, except during his senior year when COVID kept everyone apart. Over the years, he’s been at Union, Dom has proved his leadership skills and been a valuable team member, earning himself the spot as a team captain. “Shoutout to the team. Great guys. I am very grateful for a group like that; to be a captain for them was a great experience.” 

In the Thunderdome, the women’s volleyball team has just put up its nets for the year. Their season was very similar to the men’s season, with a lot of growth and team bonding happening. In the regional tournament, the women won against Central Christian College of the Bible, which placed them in the semi-finals, but they lost their next game, which would have allowed them to advance further in the championship. Over the past few months, they’ve faced some tough challenges, but have come through the other side as stronger people. 

One of the three team captains, Emma Bermeo, a senior from Lincoln, NE who is graduating with degrees in graphic design, photo and video, and business, shared that she went into the season wanting to enjoy it and have fun. She said the team spent a lot of time getting to know each other, and everyone became good friends. Emma has played volleyball throughout middle school, high school, and college, so when asked about how she felt about this being her last season, she said, “It was weird to think about at first. It’s sad, but cool to look back, see myself then and see myself now…[volleyball] was a great way to build relationships with girls I would not have known or seen otherwise.” 

Even though the soccer and volleyball seasons are done for now, swing by the Thunderdome to cheer for the Warriors basketball teams!

By Sami Hoffer