"I have faced a lot of adversity in my four years at NDC," NDC senior outfielder Meadow Odum mentioned. "One of the biggest life lessons I have learned is resilience. Learning to not allow failures to break me has been the biggest one that I have learned."
"Throughout my time here at NDC I have learned a lot of new things. One of the biggest things I have learned is that being dedicated is a way to achieve success," NDC junior pitcher Allison Weilnau explained. "In all of my classes my teachers push me to work hard. They also made sure to talk about the importance of being dedicated as a teacher due to it being a field that requires dedication. This translated onto the softball field. From doing extra workouts on my own or working hard on the field, that takes dedication. You only get what you put in. When you are dedicated you will get more out of what you are doing," she opined.
The biggest lesson I would say is don't take anything for granted as it can be taken away in a second," NDC freshman outfielder Jocelyn Quior said.
Odum talked about the strides she has taken since coming to NDC:
"My biggest improvement since I stepped onto campus until now is learning how to handle real life situations and also I learned to have a genuine conversation even when it feels scary. I feel like I have really grown as a woman, and I feel prepared to face the real world."
Quior answered the same question:
"I would say my biggest improvememnt since I stepped onto campus until now would be my relationship with my coaches and teammates. At the beginning of the season of the season we were close but now being with each other every day has strengenthed our realtionship even more."
Odum heaped praise on the coaching staff:
"I will forever be grateful for Coach Stopp, she took a chance on me by recruiting me. When Coach Stopp recruited me I was fresh off ACL surgery and definitely was not at my full potential. I am so thankful for Coach Stopp giving me the opportunity to play softball at the collegiate level. Coach Coleman is like a father figure to me and really helped me with everything the past four years. As for Coach Rob, she has been a bright light for NDC softball. I wish that she were here for all four years."
Weilnau agreed:
"Playing for them has been awesome. I have learned so much as a player and have been able to grow the last three years. They always have been supportive and believed in me. Coach Rob was a big addition to the team this year. Her expertise on pitching has been very helpful especially with my rise ball."
Quior talked about the coaches:
"Playing for Coach Stopp, Coleman, and Rob is a gift. They are amazing coaches who know how to push you to the best of your ability in all aspects. They are even better people who are there and can help you get through anything. They are very competitive and there to win. They are wanting to get better every day."
Then Weilnau talked about the 1-2 punch in the circle for NDC:
"On the field having a 1-2 punch is very useful. Grace Fisher and I have both worked out of tough sitations many times. Whether it is just getting out of a situation in an inning or becoming relief for each other it is nice knowing that there is another successful pitcher. We both bring our own strengths to the field which shows while we are pitching."
Then she talked about pitching coach Sam Robertson:
"Coach Rob is one of the best pitching coaches I have ever been around. She is always super positive and willing to help with whatever is needed. I think that is the biggest thing that she has taught me."
Odum talked about playing behind the two pitchers:
"Oh my goodness, I love playing behind Grace and Ali when they are in the circle. Nothing beats the excitement I feel when Grace strikes someone out. Nothing will top the swag that Ali has on the mound and Ali's ability to get out of tough situations."
Quior talked about the dynamic pitchers:
"When both pitchers take the field, I know they will both give 110 percent. This causes me to rise to their level of competition. Playing behind them every game day, being able to support each accomplishment in their career is a gift."
Weilnau talked about playing with both Odum and Quior:
"Playing with Meadow the last three years has been great. We have been around to see the team grow. Meadow became a leader on and off the field. She is so versatile which is very nice to have because I can trust her in multiple positions. Jocelyn is also great to have as a teammate. She has come in and made a big impact on our team. They are both aggressive players which is a super nice aspect to have on the team."
Quior talked about Weilnau and Odom:
"Ali and Meadow have amazing leadership qualities. Meadow expemplifies leadership s an upperclassmen who goes out of her way to help everyone on and off the field. Ali leads by exmaple by being a fierce competitor. She challenges the team to rise to her level."
Weilnau talked about Odum playing both the infield and the outfield:
"Being on the mound can be super stressful. Having a teammate like Meadow that can play multiple positions is super critical to the team. Being able to play is a hard thing to do, especailly both the infield and outfield. They are two completely different positions. Meadow is one of a couple of players I feel confident in when she plays either one. She has made amny game winning plays at both positions. Meadow is a player I love playing behind me."
Quior agreed:
"It takes an exceptional athlete to excel at both the infield and outfield. I feel both girls (Odum) and Ella Collinsworth handle this challenge easily and are successful in both spots."
Weilnau told me that a pitcher that she always admired and enjoyed watching while he was in college was Montana Fouts from the University of Alabama. She just enjoyed how well she was able to control her position as well as how passionate she was for the game. Then she talked pitching:
"I think my biggest improvement as a pitcher is my confidence. Overall every year I feel that if I have been able to become more and more confident every time I step onto the mound, it can be very stressful stepping onto the mound especially when in tough situations. Trusting myself is something that I feel is very important."
Then she talked about feeding off each other:
"On Game Days there are a couple of ways that Grace and I feed off each other. First we both want to win every game. Second, if she pitches well in the first game and we win it, it allows me to go on the mound in game two and want to help bring the team to another victory. If we lost game one, in game two I am going to give even more to try to help the team win. We both always give it our all."
"I have learned a lot about myself at NDC, including my mental toughness. Softball is a game of failure and if you let each time you fail affect you it could get ugly pretty quickly. Learning to forget about failure has allowed me to be more successful this year," Odum stated.
Weilnau talked what she has learned about herself:
"Since I have arrived at NDC one thing I have learned about myself is that I am resilient. Whether it is on the field facing challenges, tough situations, or being stressed out with a lot of homework. Pitching is a very mental position on a softball field. It takes resilience when a pitch might not be working on game day. It also takes resilience to bounce back after a tough game where you left it all on the field like the Charleston game last year.
Odom then talked about making the switch from the infield to the outfield:
"It has been a big adjustment to make the switch but I love the outfield. I played right field a little bit my freshman year so being able to come back to the outfield my senior year has been a full circle moment. I have a lot of confidence in myself esepcailly knowing that Katleyn DeWeese our center fielder will always have my back."
Then she talked how much Collinsworth has helped her:
"Ella has been awesome in this transition because we have been thrown all over the field, we keep each other in tact and I have the confidence wherever I am not that Ella will play the position just as good if not better."
Odum talked Weilnau:
"Ali is one of the most selfless people I know. She is not in it for the stats or the praise, she is in to win and I absolutely love that about her. She knows how to reel me in if I am in my head and she always lets me know that I am needed in many ways. Having Coach Stopp, who was an outfielder not that long ago has been amazing because she knows what it takes and always knows what to say, her knowledge is incredible."
Weilnau talked about Quior and Odum:
"Jocelyn has come in and really shown why she should be on the field. Being a freshman is hard but Jocelyn has made it look easy. She has proven herself multiple times and is a hard out in the box. Her sneaky bunt is dangerous, she also made some saving plays in right field. She encourages everyone and I love having her behind me when I am pitching. Meadow is a force this season. She has come in clutch for us a lot this year. She is one of the hottest bats in our lineup. She is a leader on the team that I look up to. I have loved being her teammate the past three years."
Then Quior gave this thought:
"It is pretty amazing having a former NDC player and outfielder as a coach. On a personal level, being an outfielder and going to her with questions she immediately knows the answer as well as how to help. I look up to her in many ways as a coach, player, and person."
Weilnau talked about the home field at NDC:
"The difference between playing on Normandy and playing other places is just the overall atmosphere. Having fans there supporting the team on our home field makes all the difference on game day. Playing on your own field allows you to represent your school. This year was the most special due to the situation we are in. I am very grateful that we were lucky to have a home season on the last year that NDC will be playing on Normandy. Playing on the field where we practice is super helpful because you know what to expect when a ball is hit. It can be hard on an away field that is not super similar to ours due to not knowing how the mound is going to be, not knowing how the ball will bounce back after it is hit, and not knowing how the crowd will be."
Quior answered the home question:
"It is really nice to be able to play in the center of campus and that people walking by can just stop and watch. We appreciate all the support from everyone on and off campus."
Odum talked about how much fun they are:
"I love home games! There is nothing like being on Normandy on a nice day with my classmates and professors watching. The view from home plate is like no other, the admin building in the background paints a beautiful picture."
Weilnau talked about the MEC Tournament:
"The MEC Tournament is one of the most exciting and electric places to play. It really is the best of the best playing against each other at one of the nicest complexes I have ever played at. Being at the MEC Tournament really brings out the love for the game, being able to watch all the teams in our conference face off is awesome."
Quior talked team chemistry:
"The chemistry of this team is rare. We all have a very special bond on and off the field. No matter what is going on someone is there for you and can help you through it no matter if it is life, family, softball, or school ,someone has your back. I have never been so close with a team like I am with the girls here."
Weilnau talked team:
"I think we are in a really good place as a team. This year we have been really big on being in the moment and playing every game like it is our last, I can see that especially when we are on defense. I know that every player behind me will give it their all. I think that going into the tournament we really just need to lean on each other, play for each other, and just make sure that we are playing like it is our last game because as sad as it is, it could be our last game. We need to leave everything on the field.
Quior talked the advantage of playing everyone prior to the tournament:
"Playing each team in the conference gives us the ability to show and prove that we deserve to be on that field and it gives us the opportunity to get better and better every day. It prepares us for when it means the most."
Weilnau talked a little more tournament:
" The tournament is always super fun especially when you are with a group of girls that you love being around. I think that the biggest thing we need to expect going into the tournament is that we are going to see the best of every team because it is at that point where teams need to go all out. I think that throughout the year we have seen every team that we are going to face so we know what to expect when we get there. I think that if we play just how we play we can beat any opponent that we face. Last year was a really big year for the team. We were a super young team, so we were just really focused on growing and improving every game. I think that the biggest turning point was after we swept Frostburg State for the first time in school history. That was the moment where we realized that we could do anything, which I think just carried us for the rest of the season."
Notre Dame College (33-22 14-14 MEC) has secured the three seed in the North Division and will face the second seed in the South, Glenville State Univeristy Pioneers (26-17 19-7 MEC) on May 1st at 8 PM at the Bouteort Sports Complex in Troutville, Virginia.
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