DCVB Special: Patridge’s Perspective
– Daniel Delorieux (Defiance, OH)
Defiance College’s volleyball team has now concluded their season at conference semifinals against Bluffton University where they fell 3-1 (19-25, 20-25, 25-16 17-25) while in Hanover, Indiana. They Lady Jackets are coming off of an amazing season where they were crowned conference champions and reigned their superiority among the tri-state area.
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While interviewing defensive specialist Jaidyn Patridge, she stated how the team’s success was based off of their production defensively for the most part, also how everyone has a shared responsibility to have a positive teammate and show good leadership no matter your rank on the depth chart or position.
Her job as a defensive specialist was to defend the back row and she says she loves the positions for the high intensity that in entails where she constantly finds herself diving on the court at any given moment to capture any 50/50 balls. She harps that the angle you take is imperative in the trajectory that the ball will take and can change a game in a split second.
Patridge also made the case about how the team’s chemistry also has a lot to do with how the team plays in late game situations. That is why in practice they regularly participate in game like drills to simulate clutch moment where spilt second thinking is the key to success. What Jaidyn finds to be the key factor in the teams chemistry is how they treat each other on and off the court. I asked her about her main contributions to the team, and she proceeded to tell me about her voice and how much that too factors into what happens, because it helps include everyone into the game and helps to shake up the opponent.
One thing Jaidyn made sure to include was that she finds herself surrounded by the best teammates and coaching staff and that certainly does help them collectively because it dictates a sort of sisterhood on and off the court. She has made some of the greatest memories during her tenure at Defiance College and consider her teammates family.
After asking about team chemistry, I asked about the negative side of things and some of the detriments that come with the entire sport. She continued to state the main detriment about any game: losing. “Losing is the worst, but losing to Bluffton is definitely the worst, we have not beaten them yet but I have a feeling it is going to happen it will happen before I graduate and I am determined to accomplish just that!”
Perhaps the highest moment during Jaidyn’s tenure here at Defiance College’s volleyball team would be the conference championship they won last year. Getting sized for the ring as well as hanging a banner in the gym are some of the things that no other team was able to participate in which makes it that much more special. “I don’t think anything will be able to amount to the feeling of being a champion.”
She concluded to say that the path from here on out for Defiance Volleyball is very bright, with young players that stepped up big, and a coaching staff that will lead the way. “We are determined to win the conference next year, I could not be more exited for the future of DCVB.”
