Perspective is important in life, and in sports. After losing a match with the conference-leading Fairfield Stags (14-4, 9-0 MAAC) in three sets, the Quinnipiac Bobcats (8-11, 4-6 MAAC) may need to take a step back and keep the grand scheme in mind.

Quinnipiac fought valiantly for most of the game against a team that has made the NCAA Volleyball tournament in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. If you ask any athlete, they will say there is no such thing as moral victories, but it takes a seasoned and level-headed mind to pull some positive from a time of despair.

“I thought our passing was stellar, to be quite honest with you,” head coach Kyle Robinson said. “I thought Olga Zampati did a really good job at handling a lot of the pressure they were applying, and I thought Alejandra [Rodriguez] did a really nice job too, which is important because you can’t do anything without passing.”

Matchups against the upper-tier teams are a good way to see what a team is made of. When playing a lesser opponent, it’s not unheard of for an athlete to take his or her foot off the gas, but competitors tend to play their best and show their true colors against teams that are deemed favorites. It’s because they are creatures of pride. It’s sort of what makes them so good in a sense.

Robinson thought that his veterans showed that drive today.

“[Zampati and Georgia Tselepi] bring such a level of experience,” Robinson said. “They know how to do this game at this level in a professional manner, so we don’t ever have to worry about them on the court, so they bring a lot of calmness and subtleness to some of those tough times.”

There will be highs and lows for any team because every season is a marathon and not a sprint. After such a tough loss, Robinson reiterated that rest and decompression is just as important as competing.

Sometimes it might be more important.

“What these young ladies do is very difficult,” Robinson said. “To be a student-athlete is not easy, and I think a lot of people think, hey, they get to play a game, and they hear scholarship, traveling, [but] it’s a lot of hard work, and at this time of the year it’s extremely tough work-class loads. We’re deep into the season, we’re battling injuries and it’s a lot of hard work. So, where it’s a Sunday or a Monday, getting a day off and getting some rest is super-important for us.”

The Bobcats will enjoy their rest before preparing for their next match, an away game against Manhattan College next Saturday.