The Pioneer club volleyball team will travel to Kansas City, Mo., April 5-7 to compete in the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation’s Collegiate Club Championships.

The Pioneers are in the midst of one of their busiest seasons to date, having already competed in tournaments in Laramie, Wy. and Lincoln, Neb., as well as several in the Denver area in January and February. The team swept their first tournament of the season at the University of Wyoming in October despite missing several players from the roster.

The team practices for two hours twice a week and competes in roughly two tournaments per month. With a revamped playing style, attitude and desire to win, the Pioneers have found themselves preparing to compete against the best the nation has to offer, according to head coach Emily Gordon.

“The level of talent on this team is amazing, but what is more amazing are the girls themselves,  their commitment level and their work ethic,” said Gordon. “As an [ex-Division I] player, I run the practices as a normal [Division I] level practice. Many of them will tell you I’m not easy on them, but their ability to step up and work as hard as they do amazes me.”

Gordon has instituted a new policy this year, rewarding the dedication of her players to the team. After holding tryouts in September, Gordon selected nine players to be on the team. During the winter quarter, the roster has increased with the addition of a freshman transfer student and a player returning from abroad.

Gordon said once the selection of her team was finalized after tryouts, she made a commitment to give the team the best opportunity to win by allowing them to improve with as much court time as possible and rewards her players for their dedication.

“My policy is this: If you were not here for original tryouts back in September, barring some sort of inability to be here like transferring or studying abroad, you will not be given the opportunity to try out,” said Gordon. “My girls have gone through months of hell during practices, and I am not about to allow someone to walk in and take time away from them during practice or playing time during games. I am as devoted to these girls as they are committed.”

The talent level is another key factor in the team’s success. Gordon believes her team is more prepared to make a deep run into the national tournament due to the hard work of the talented players the team has not seen in previous seasons.

“We have some girls that were offered college positions, but for one reason or another turned them down to attend DU,” said Gordon. “To see them push through 30 minutes of rigorous conditioning, where we cross train, or see my setter, [sophomore Kayla Johnson], run both sides of the net during the majority of practice, are reason enough to show back up from 8 to 10 p.m. for practice after working a full day. They’re just simply a lot of fun to be around and to coach.”

The Pioneers will play in a tournament in Denver on March 4 before flying to Milwaukee on March 23rd to compete in a ranking tournament over spring break. How the team fares in Milwaukee will determine their ranking for the national championships.

“After the results of the Milwaukee tournament, we will decide whether to opt for a spot in D1 or D2 at nationals,” said Gordon.