Eagles Magical Season Comes To A Close

Seward, NE - Sadly, all good things must come to an end. That is the case with the Judson Women's Volleyball Team as their fantastic 2023 campaign came to a close in the Opening Round of the NAIA National Tournament. The Eagles were matched up against the Concordia Bulldogs of Nebraska in the opening round, and the Bulldogs proved to be to much on this day. Concordia came away with a straight set victory 25-19, 25-14, 25-17. 

In the contest, Alyssa Gerzel led the way with 9 kills, and Lindsay Lawlor had 20 assists. In the first set, JU did put together a six-point rally, and took a few leads against the Bulldogs. Judson's final lead was 17-16 in the first set before Concordia closed things out. 

As the season wraps up, there was so much good that came out of it. The Eagles finished the season with a stellar 23-5 record. They were CCAC regular season champions, hosted all three rounds of the playoffs, and were conference tournament runner-ups. JU received an NAIA automatic bid by winning the conference regular season. In the last few NAIA National Rankings, JU was also getting recognition by receiving Top-25 votes. 

All of this was done in year one under new head coach, Alyssa Serewicz-Wido, who was named CCAC Coach of the Year. 

The awards did not stop there, as Lindsay Lawlor was named CCAC Setter of the Year, and Kenia Diaz Vega was named Libero of the Year for the conference. 

Lawlor was also named the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) Female Athlete of the Year for the Midwest Region. 

In addition, Gerzel, Lawlor, Diaz Vega, and Emmaline Davey were all named First Team All-Conference selections. Gerzel, was also nominated as the team's Champion of Character recipient. Time will also tell if there is national recoginition as well. 

The season featured a 13-game winning streak, and a win over #13 ranked Columbia MO sprinkled in. Success and praised was certainly earned by this squad all season long. 

This season also saw milestones reached. Diaz Vega eclipsed 1,000 career digs, Lawlor surpassed 2,000 career assists, and both Gerzel and Davey hammered home 1,000 career kills. 

2023 was a special season for these Eagles. 

As the page does start to turn to next season, the Eagles project to be saying goodbye to five of their top seven rotational players in Davey, Lawlor, Diaz Vega, Kara Wicklund, and Lindsay Paulsen. But, Gerzel, and Yomailis Fernandez figure to lead a reload for Judson next fall. 

But on this day, we celebrate the fantastic run by these Eagles. Team goals were certainly set, reached, and surpassed, and there is nothing to feel down about. 

Until the next time on the court, #ProtectTheNest