Off The Court With Matt Briskey: Pt. 4

S: You guys had an amazing weekend, ending the Jim Coleman Invitational 3-0, to make your season 6-0. Brag on your team a little bit... What do you think you guys did really well this weekend that helped you walk away undefeated?

M: I think it was our ability to step up and make big plays when it counted most.  This can be hard for such a young team, but everyone showed great focus and determination to win.  Also, our ability to recover from a lost set or a past mistake and come out firing the next set allowed us to win.  Volleyball is a game about not dwelling on prior mistakes and instead focusing on the next point and we were able to do that this weekend. 

S:Moving forward, what do you think will be most important for your team for focus on in order to keep up the momentum?

M:Our ability to stay humble and hungry will be most important going forward.  We have been fortunate to have some great wins under our belt already but our ability to maintain that drive and focus throughout the entire season will definitely be a test.  We still have so much of our season ahead of us, so we must remain disciplined and bring our all to each and every practice and game. 

S: Several of your matches this weekend were won in five sets. I was stressed, and I was only sitting in the press box, let alone playing. How do you stay focused at such an important time, and handle the stress of playing under the wire like that?

M:In those moments, I think you have to rely on your preparation in practice, the weight room, and the film room.  All of our coaches have done an amazing job preparing us for each of these matches.  Knowing that we have prepared at such a high level allows us to be confident in those stressful moments and allows us to perform to the best of our abilities... Also, Dylan's improvised dance moves after a play definitely lightens the mood. 

S: Jim Coleman was one of the most notable coaches in volleyball history; some may call him a hero. Who is your hero, or someone that you really look up to in volleyball?

M:I really looked up to my club volleyball coach when I was in high school.  Coach Parsell was my coach when I played Vanguard Volleyball and he really ignited my passion for volleyball and helped me develop as a player.  Also, he was a mentor off the court and pushed me to strive for excellence in all aspects of my life.

S:You spend a lot of time on the court with your team, especially this weekend, but you also spend a lot of time together off the court. What has your favorite team bonding experience been so far this season?

M:Being boys, some of our best experiences revolve around food.  I'm a senior but still enjoy going to the CDR with the team after practice because it allows us to get to know each other outside of the volleyball.  Additionally, I'll always remember going to Steak 'n Shake during our team camp.  It was great to get off campus and this allowed us to bond in a relaxed setting.