By wpengine
Spain is known for its rich history, beautiful beaches, and wealth of cultural experiences. But to senior Ian Pilarski, Spain means soccer. After witnessing firsthand the passion that the Spanish have for the game, Pilarski hopes to bring this passion to Cornell this season. With the men’s soccer team poised to make a run at the Ivy League title, he will be a pivotal part of the team’s success this season. Playing at the midfield, Pilarski is an all-around threat, who commands the respect of his teammates with his athleticism on the field. But, as any good athlete will tell you, to be the best, you need to stay on top of your game year round. Pilarski knows this all too well. He spent the summer with the Cape Cod Crusaders of the USL’s Premier Development League, the top amateur league in the country. Along with juniors Scott Palguta and Steve Reuter, Pilarski helped the Crusaders capture the PDL National Championship. He and Palguta were also members of the 2002 squad, which also captured the national title. “Playing with some of the best players in the country definitely helped us prepare better,” remarked Pilarski. “It just makes you sharper, makes you think quicker on the field. [Living with Palguta and Reuter all summer,] we learned more about each other and how we play, so hopefully we’ll reflect that this season.” Over the summer, the team compiled a 12-4-2 record, with Pilarski recording nine assists, fourth best in the league, along with two goals. Breaking into the starting lineup his freshman season, Pilarski emerged as an offensive threat with two goals and two assists in 2000. The following season, he led the team in assists with seven, also adding a goal, while earning an All-Ivy Honorable Mention nod. Despite the team’s disappointing run last year, Pilarski continued to shine. While the Red struggled to find the back of the net, Pilarski generated lots of scoring chances and was named to the All-Ivy second team. “Everything that happened last year just seemed to prepare us even more for this year. Every loss — it’s almost like we want to get revenge on every team that beat us last year,” commented Pilarski. A dedicated worker on and off the field, Pilarski was named one of the captains for this year’s squad. “He’s a great leader for the team, really committed, really focused, and just really positive all the time about everything,” said sophomore Sean Shannon. “He’s a great guy to have as a leader because he’s always confident in himself and he leads by example.” As a midfielder, Pilarski has been given free reign to create scoring opportunities in the offensive zone. “Preferably, I like to receive the ball on the outside, and I like the upper left or right section of the field. It’s my kind of area where I can cut players in and cross balls in.” Looking back at his career, Pilarski points to his goal against Harvard last season in the pouring rain as his favorite moment on the field. Off the field, he values the friendship and solidarity of the team. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the past three years, and hope to make this senior year a memorable one and carry the team as far as possible,” said Pilarski. As the season opens today against St. Bonaventure, Pilarski and the rest of the team are looking for a strong start to a successful year. “This year, everyone gets along, there isn’t a certain clique, which is very important for team chemistry,” said Pilarski. “We’re a very tight and close-knit group, and the camaraderie is higher than ever.”Archived article by Jonathan Auerbach
By wpengine
One of the most cherished traditions of the senior class at any university is the proud display of the class ring, a representation of years of hard work and toil for one’s alma mater. Yet, there will be no class rings ordered by the four seniors of the women’s volleyball team this year; they have another kind of hardware in mind. “We want the Ivy League ring,” senior middle blocker Jamie Lugo stated. “That’s been our goal from the beginning, and that’s the only ring we want on our fingers this year.” Cockiness? Overconfidence? Hardly. Coming off of three consecutive winning seasons, the Red is unquestionably one of the most talented and feared teams in the Ivy League. Back in the lineup are five of last season’s starters, including All-Ivy selections Debbie Quibell, Rachel Rice, and Ashley Stover. The Red also possess what head coach Christie Roes calls “the deepest and most talented back-up players I have coached here at Cornell,” an oft-overlooked feature that makes this year’s team all the more formidable. “This year’s team is simply the strongest in the Ivy League in terms of talent and experience,” Roes said. “Overall, we are more well-rounded and mature, in addition to being better able to deal with adversity.” Adversity has certainly been a stalwart in the Red volleyball program in recent years. In the last two seasons the women’s team has been hit with a seemingly constant string of injuries. Both Lugo and Rice have been among the starters sidelined, and Roes is well aware of the fact that staying healthy will be a major factor in achieving success. “Injuries have plagued this team in the past,” Roes affirmed. “Yet, this year there is far more optimism because not only is everyone healthy right now, but we have such talent and depth at every position that we can win games and build confidence with any player on the court. In previous years, we have not had that luxury.” Preseason workouts have been a key component to the Red’s self-assurance, as every single player arrived at the team’s Nike summer camp in shape and motivated to work hard. Rice said that the training sessions went “very, very well,” and that most of the players either met or surpassed their training goals. Moreover, the preseason workouts saw the beginnings of the volleyball squad truly coming together as a team. “Our preseason testing and workouts have been the best it’s ever been for us,” sophomore outside hitter Hayley Grieve said. “There is so much competitiveness in the intrasquad matches that it’s easy to tell how much depth we have this year. We are all really anxious to play.” The Red’s first test of the season comes in the form of the Seton Hall Spikefest, set to take place this weekend in South Orange, N.J. Iona, Seton Hall, La Salle, and Hartford are all on Roes and company’s radar screens, and the tournament should provide an excellent jumping-off point for the Red’s season. Recently, the women’s volleyball team has dominated in season openers (having defeated every opponent in opening contests for the last eight years), and it looks to continue that tomorrow against Iona. And with the confident philosophy Roes has instilled in the group over the past four years, that doesn’t look like it’s going to be much of a problem. “The thinking this year is simply to let the girls’ talent take over,” Roes stated. “As a team, we think and believe that we can win, and with each victory, that belief will only become stronger and stronger.” Rice and the rest of the team echo similar sentiments, as the squad is poised this season to make an NCAA appearance for only the second time in Cornell women’s volleyball history. “The championship is definitely possible this year,” Rice affirmed. “We’ve had serious discussions about how we are going to get there. Everyone has been hungry for it, and there is just a good feeling going all around.”Archived article by Kyle Sheahen