“We love the family atmosphere that Quinnipiac gives,” head coach Kyle Robinson said. “So, when that family comes to the game, extended brothers, cousins, and sisters. When they show up its even more fun for us.”

Robinson understands it’s hard to get everyone out for a volleyball game on a Saturday afternoon, so seeing everyone from the likes of parents, the Quinnipiac Pep Band, and other athletic teams, Robinson really appreciated it. Since volleyball can be a game of runs and sometimes that can hinge on emotion it helped to have such great support. Having the band play a different song during every time out or parents screaming their disapproval over calls, to the handmade signs put up by family and friends of the team, did a lot to help the morale of the team.

Although the Bobcats ultimately won the match 3-1, they needed all the support they could get early on.

Taking on the preseason favorites in the Canisius College Golden Eagles (9-10, 6-1 MAAC), the Quinnipiac Bobcats (7-10, 3-5 MAAC) knew they had to come out sharp. After opening conference play 0-3, the Bobcats have since been 3-2 and looked to add another win, in hopes of making up ground in the standings. The first set didn’t go as planned for Quinnipiac. It seemed overwhelmed by Canisius’ offense, having a hard time returning the vicious spikes of the other team. However, they didn’t let it deter them.

“After losing in the first [set], I was like ‘we need to focus on our game, it’s our gym, we are not going to let them [beat] us in here,'” sophomore Olga Zampati said. “So we got in and we fought.”

That type of intensity and focus could be attributed to finally returning from a shoulder injury or being suddenly named a starter but Zampati words manifested in her efforts and trickled down to her team. The Bobcats went up early in the second set forcing a Canisius timeout, however that didn’t do much to slow Quinnipiac. Zampati’s spike, giving her team a 19-11 lead, seemed to open the flood gates as they Bobcats ran away with the set, settling for a 25-17 win.

The final sets mirrored most of the second set. The Bobcats scored early and often, putting themselves ahead early. Yet it was the defense that proved to be the deciding component in the match.

Sophomores outside hitter Maggie Baker and Zampati both posted double-doubles in the match, providing their usual excellence on offense in the form of 10 and 12 kills respectively. But it was their 22 combined digs that made the difference. The stellar job they did at the net helped limit the Canisius offense to a crude .073 hitting percentage and whatever got over the net the Bobcats took care of as shown by their strong 81-dig performance.

Looking to extend their winning streak against Niagara at home on Sunday, the Bobcats know they must come out sharp. The physical side of the game is the easy part. When their minds mirror their body, they’re hard to beat.

“For us, it’s not an athletic issue with us winning,” Robinson said. “It’s not the volleyball side of it, it’s just the mental side of it. Learning how to work from the beginning of a match to the end. Learning how to work when you show up for breakfast in the morning and have your mind right.”