After dropping its first match of the Butler Tournament to host Butler University, the Elon University volleyball team rallied throughout the weekend to come back and become co-champions of the tournament and looks to use its momentum this weekend, starting with a game against Campbell University.
The Phoenix started the doubleheader portion of the tournament Saturday morning against Central Michigan University. The Chippewas hung on, but the Phoenix was able to assert itself at the end of sets and took the match by a 25-17, 28-30, 25-20, 25-19 score.
"The team just stayed tough," head coach Mary Tendler said. "We came back and had some good serves at the end of those sets. It's tough to be aggressive and confident in great moments like that, and I feel like our team did that against Central Michigan."
The Butler Tournament was a chance for sophomore right side/setter Cali Estes and senior outside hitter/middle blocker Caroline Lemke, two Carmel, Ind., natives, to go back home and perform in front of friends and family.
But instead of treating the two-day tournament as an opportunity to show off for the hometown crowd, the two kept the focus required to help the team win, Tendler said.
"Caroline and Cali have done a good job of saying, 'We're here to do a job and play to the best of our abilities like anywhere else,'" said senior setter Megan McMahon, who had 123 assists in the tournament. "They did a good job of keeping a level head."
The tournament was played in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, the non-air-conditioned gym that gained its fame in the movie "Hoosiers."
"We talked about it a lot. We talked about the movie," Tendler said. "We knew what Hinkle Fieldhouse was all about. It was a cool place to be. Playing in Hinkle Fieldhouse is something we'll always remember."
Austin Peay State University, a team that had won only two games entering play Saturday, was trying to pull off the upset of the 7-3 Phoenix.
After besting Austin Peay in the match's first two sets, the Phoenix suffered a letdown in the third, allowing seven straight points en route to dropping a 21-16 lead, as well as the set.
"We were behind in the first two sets quite a bit, and we came back and won," Tendler said. "We had the lead in the third set, and Austin Peay did the same thing to us in that third set. I was just glad that we closed it out in the fourth because it was real tight."
Elon was able to end the match in the fourth set, taking a 28-26 decision. Hours later, when Central Michigan beat Butler, Elon had tied Butler and Chippewas for the tournament's best record and had earned a piece of the championship.
"I am so happy and so proud of this weekend," Lemke said.
The women's volleyball team has a three-game home streak this weekend, where the team looks to improve on their 8-3 record.
Matches start Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.