SENIOR OUTSIDE HITTER EMILY MADDEN levitates above the net and prepares to drive the ball into the Southern Illinois court. The Bulldogs will play MVC tournament games over Thanksgiving break. Photo: Sarah Andrews

Although the Drake volleyball team won one and lost one on the road this weekend, the Bulldogs will bring momentum into the Missouri Valley Championship over Thanksgiving break.

The Bulldogs arrived in Peoria, Ill., on Nov. 20 to take on Bradley. The team was unable to match Bradley’s intensity in the opening minutes and fell behind by two sets. Drake’s defense was able to hold the Bulldogs in the match until they gained momentum as the Bulldogs tied the match at two sets apiece. Drake won the match with a fifth set score of 15-10. The team went 2-0 against the Braves this season.

Just one day after playing Bradley, the Bulldogs took to the court against a strong No. 21 Northern Iowa team. Earlier in the season, the Bulldogs suffered a home loss to UNI and Drake and looked to gain redemption on national television Saturday night. The Bulldogs started out strong, taking the first two sets from the Panthers.

“We came out with a lot of energy and determination but we were also able to stay level-headed and calm to win those first two sets,” senior Chelsea Lauersdorf said.

In only his second year as head coach, Phil McDaniel has led the Bulldog squad to a 22-11 regular-season record and helped earn a spot in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, which starts Thanksgiving Day.

Last year, the Bulldogs posted a 12-20 record, and McDaniel’s leadership has helped his players mature and reach their potential this year in one of the Bulldogs’ most promising seasons in over a decade.

Heading into the final two home games, the Bulldogs’ record was 21-10, the first time since the 1995 season that the squad has won over 20 games. McDaniel said he is excited about his squad’s prospects in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship this year.

“I always expect us to get better from season to season,” McDaniel said. “And the team has come a long way in the past 18 months.”

Drake has not been to the MVC Tournament since 1998, when the Bulldogs entered the tournament with only 13 wins.

“Our lone goal for the season was to earn a spot in the Conference Tournament in November,” McDaniel said.

He credits the team’s success this year on the players’ hard work and dedication to improving their skills, as well as team chemistry.

“The players believe in themselves this season,” he said. “Even when the team struggles in a match, the group comes together and they have a sense that they can compete with any team on the other side of the net.”

McDaniel’s new team strategies, which were implemented in April, have also contributed to the team’s success.

“I believe that it took some time to get used to the changes that were implemented on both sides of the ball, but our offense is faster, and our defensive intensity has picked up significantly,” McDaniel said.

Although winless against ranked MVC rivals Wichita State and Missouri State, McDaniel said he believes his team has improved since earlier in the season.

“Those teams at the top of the conference do several things well – but the two areas that we need to improve in are staying disciplined defensively, and cutting down on our own errors,” McDaniel said. “Every time we step on the court in practice or in a match, I believe that we are closing the gap.”

However, the momentum shifted in the third set as UNI went on to win the final three sets and the match.

The Bulldogs looked to bounce back as they take on the Creighton Bluejays in the opening round of the MVC Tournament. The match begins at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day in Omaha, Neb.