The Drake University volleyball team returned home to the Knapp Center on Sept. 30 after starting the season with 13 games on the road. Drake fell to the University of Northern Iowa in four sets, winning the third 26-24.
Energy was high in the Knapp as fans of both teams packed the gym in blue and purple. Bulldog fans held up signs in support of the players, and Griff II even made an appearance.
“It’s nice to be in front of your home crowd and in your own gym where you know what it’s going to feel like,” senior outside hitter Macy Daufeldt said. “We were really excited just to be home and be with our people.”
Before the game began, the players got to see their hype reel on the big screen in the Knapp for the first time. The reel features clips of the players from media day and footage from past games.
“We begged them to let us watch it beforehand, but they wouldn’t let us,” Daufeldt said. “They wanted it to be a surprise, and we all really liked it.”
A crowd decked out in Ankeny Christian Academy Volleyball shirts came to support one of the school’s recent graduates: freshman setter Katie Quick. In her first season at Drake, Quick has already found a place in the lineup and logged playtime in almost every game.
“I am so grateful that I’ve gotten to play quite a bit this year,” Quick said. “I have gotten a lot of experience in high school, playing in state tournaments and in club, playing at a high level, so I don’t think that I was too terribly nervous about my responsibilities.”
Quick’s supporters at the game included her former varsity teammates, younger players, and her mother, the head volleyball coach at Ankeny Christian.
“It was a little bit nerve-racking just knowing that there’s so many people that want me to do well,” Quick said. “But it definitely helps encourage me to do my best.”
The Bulldogs opened Missouri Valley Conference play on Sept. 26, where they were defeated by the Valparaiso University Beacons in four sets. On Sept. 27, the team played five tight matches against the University of Illinois Chicago, but was unable to pull out a win.
UNI has a long history of success in the MVC, so the team knew they would be facing tough competition in the home opener. Senior setter Addison Beagle opened the match with an ace, but the Bulldogs couldn’t find momentum and lost the set 13-25.
Drake kept the scores close for much of the second set, but eventually fell behind and ended with a 20-25 score.
The team pulled out a hard-fought win in the third set, but was unable to overcome UNI in the fourth set and fell 19-25.
“Right now, we’re just trying to find all of our missing pieces and putting them together,” Daufeldt said. “We have a lot of good things going, we just have to figure out how to do them all at the same time.”
Across the four sets, Drake landed 38 kills, with Daufeldt and outside hitter Kacia Brown each contributing 12. Daufeldt recently passed a major milestone, logging her 1,000th career kill on Sept. 26 against Valparaiso.
“I’m not really looking for those things, and if they happen, great,” Daufeldt said. “If they don’t, I’m just here to play volleyball with my best friends and have a good time and win some games.”
On Friday, Oct. 3, the Bulldogs earned their first conference win over Murray State University in three sets.
“Every game in the Valley is tough,” head coach Darrin McBroom said. “You’ve got to be ready to play your best.”
Next, the team plays Bradley University on Friday, Oct. 10, in the Knapp.
“I’m looking forward to just seeing how the team continues to gel together and progress, because I feel like we are almost there where we’re going to start really being able to dominate and start taking some wins,” Quick said. “I’m excited to just see how our team can grow.”
