University of Memphis Athletics
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Embracing Change, Leaving A Legacy
Sep 11, 2018 | Women's Volleyball
Volleyball seniors lead program through a transition year in 2018.
Change can be difficult. And, with change comes multiple choices on how to deal with it.
For four seniors on Memphis volleyball team, change is what they faced this past January when Sean Burdette took over as the ninth head coach in program history. For the quartet, three primary roads were open for each to take in coping with the transition.
One was to move on to another school, which is an understandable option.
A second was to stay and just go through the motions for one season, pushing through it with no investment in the team.
The third was to embrace not only the new staff and new players, but also the new vision for the program. The seniors could be a part of the change in helping build a legacy for Tigers volleyball.
The foursome of Kelsea Bivins, Sarah Marlatt, Mady Ruhlman and Kelsey Walter chose the third option, and the complete buy-in has Burdette singing the group's praises.
"They were put in tough positions where there were changes, and it could have been easy to go and find something else their senior year," said Burdette, who came to Memphis from his head coach position at Green Bay. "But, for them to come out and bring everyone else on the team together and lead the charge is great.
"It's important what they decided to do in terms of for each other and the program. To have them come in and work hard every day, I'm very pleased with that."
Change can bring resistance – even if only a little – because of the unknown factor. However, this senior group pushed those feelings aside to help build for
the program's future.
"Obviously, we were a little unsure of how he did things at first, but we adjusted rather quickly," said Walter, a middle blocker from Dallas, Texas. "We had the mentality that we wanted to start a legacy. We wanted to start something great our senior year. We could have allowed the change to drag us down, but we wanted to embrace him and what he's telling us to do."
Ruhlman, a defensive specialist from North Branch, Mich., added, "We were close and had a big enough foundation to build on. We knew if we stayed together and trusted coach Burdette, then we could have something great. We knew he had been successful in the past, so we had that faith."
The seniors, though, not only had to get acclimated to Burdette, his staff and philosophy, they also had to reach out and quickly bring several newcomers into the fold. Accepting the new players helped the seniors more fully embrace the transition and create a stronger family atmosphere.
"We seniors have been through it all," Ruhlman said. "We know how hard it is being away from home. We know that the closer we are as a team, the better we'll perform. We know each other. We trust each other on and off the court."
Sarah Marlatt, a middle blocker from Cincinnati, Ohio, agreed, "We have a young team, so we want to make sure everyone is ok. We're a big family.
"Just our love for the program, love for this team. We all work for each other. We've become more of family; we're much closer."
Bivins, an outside hitter from Pelham, Ala., added, "The best thing we've done in embracing this change is having fun."
The building has started; the legacy has begun. And neither are dependent on how many wins the Tigers put up in 2018. This senior class will be remembered for its acceptance of the coaching change to help the future of the program.
"We started this journey with you are all in or all out," Burdette said. "Those are the most enjoyable times to coach; when everyone is all in. We're not talking about the end result or what our record is going to be at the end of the year. We want to concentrate on getting better every day, whether on the practice or competition court. Our focus is on building the program."
For four seniors on Memphis volleyball team, change is what they faced this past January when Sean Burdette took over as the ninth head coach in program history. For the quartet, three primary roads were open for each to take in coping with the transition.
One was to move on to another school, which is an understandable option.
A second was to stay and just go through the motions for one season, pushing through it with no investment in the team.
The third was to embrace not only the new staff and new players, but also the new vision for the program. The seniors could be a part of the change in helping build a legacy for Tigers volleyball.
The foursome of Kelsea Bivins, Sarah Marlatt, Mady Ruhlman and Kelsey Walter chose the third option, and the complete buy-in has Burdette singing the group's praises.
"They were put in tough positions where there were changes, and it could have been easy to go and find something else their senior year," said Burdette, who came to Memphis from his head coach position at Green Bay. "But, for them to come out and bring everyone else on the team together and lead the charge is great.
"It's important what they decided to do in terms of for each other and the program. To have them come in and work hard every day, I'm very pleased with that."
Change can bring resistance – even if only a little – because of the unknown factor. However, this senior group pushed those feelings aside to help build for
the program's future.
"Obviously, we were a little unsure of how he did things at first, but we adjusted rather quickly," said Walter, a middle blocker from Dallas, Texas. "We had the mentality that we wanted to start a legacy. We wanted to start something great our senior year. We could have allowed the change to drag us down, but we wanted to embrace him and what he's telling us to do."
Ruhlman, a defensive specialist from North Branch, Mich., added, "We were close and had a big enough foundation to build on. We knew if we stayed together and trusted coach Burdette, then we could have something great. We knew he had been successful in the past, so we had that faith."
The seniors, though, not only had to get acclimated to Burdette, his staff and philosophy, they also had to reach out and quickly bring several newcomers into the fold. Accepting the new players helped the seniors more fully embrace the transition and create a stronger family atmosphere.
"We seniors have been through it all," Ruhlman said. "We know how hard it is being away from home. We know that the closer we are as a team, the better we'll perform. We know each other. We trust each other on and off the court."
Sarah Marlatt, a middle blocker from Cincinnati, Ohio, agreed, "We have a young team, so we want to make sure everyone is ok. We're a big family.
"Just our love for the program, love for this team. We all work for each other. We've become more of family; we're much closer."
Bivins, an outside hitter from Pelham, Ala., added, "The best thing we've done in embracing this change is having fun."
The building has started; the legacy has begun. And neither are dependent on how many wins the Tigers put up in 2018. This senior class will be remembered for its acceptance of the coaching change to help the future of the program.
"We started this journey with you are all in or all out," Burdette said. "Those are the most enjoyable times to coach; when everyone is all in. We're not talking about the end result or what our record is going to be at the end of the year. We want to concentrate on getting better every day, whether on the practice or competition court. Our focus is on building the program."
Players Mentioned
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