Sports Editor Ana Baggiano recently talked to volleyball player Sarah Hawke ’12. This past weekend, the team traveled to Hiram, Ohio for the North Coast Athletic Conference Play Date. Hawke led the team to a 3-0 win against Ohio Wesleyan University (25-17, 25-16, 25-17). Last season, Hawke was second on the team in hitting percentages as well as second on the team in blocks.
AB: What motivates you to succeed on the court? Are there any traditions you perform to help you prepare for matches?
SH: Well, my family is really supportive of me and they come to every single one of my games no matter how far. My dad is my biggest fan and loves coming to the games so it is definitely good to have my “fam. club.” Last game it was Dig for a Cure to raise money for breast cancer so before the game my mom told me to do it for grandma because she had breast cancer.
AB: What about the team ó† are there any big goals you are all striving for together?
SH: We almost beat Witt. one game and they have always been our biggest competitors. They’re the team we aspire to beat every year and my biggest goal this season is to beat them. My freshman and sophomore year we lost to them but we get closer to winning every year. As a team, I feel like we have been improving every year. This year our team has a† lot more depth than it ever has because we have a lot of people that can play more than one position. Our coach is able to switch up the line-ups without players freaking out. This year everyone has to work together which allows us to build off of each other’s strengths.
AB: Where are you expecting the team to finish at the end of the season? Are you planning on making it to the conference championships?
SH: My freshman year we were second in the conference and my sophomore year we were third. I think we can definitely win the conference this year if we keep working hard at practice, put 100 percent in at every game and† keep improving.
AB: What do you think holds the team back on the court in terms of weaknesses ?
SH: We do a lot of mental activities to get us focused and I think when people get in a negative mindset people don’t do as well, but we’re trying to improve that. Our coaches are really big on positive attitudes and that’s something I’ve taken away from volleyball and applied to life. I’m a perfectionist and it shows through in volleyball. When people tell me I’m doing well I don’t believe it because I push myself to do better because there is always room for improvement.