Restricted to the bench by injuries, seniors Jessica Sanborn and Sarah Gustin are forced to go from physical leaders for the volleyball team to vocal ones in a time of disappointment.
The loss of middle hitter Sanborn to a broken foot and outside hitter Gustin to a sprained foot has left the Spartan lineup young and inexperienced. With both players sidelined, MSU is 1-3 in the conference and hopes of a Big Ten championship have been lost.
Sanborn and Gustin are used to leading by example on the court, junior outside hitter Maren Witzel said. She said the seniors have been forced into a difficult and unfamiliar situation but added theyve been helpful.
Theyre still an intricate part of the team no matter what theyre doing, she said. They can be positive even though theyre obviously hurting. That just shows that theyre great leaders.
Gustin, who traveled with the team to Indiana and Penn State, said watching MSU compete is definitely painful. She said its always great to see the Spartans win but added its hard dealing with a loss from the bench.
When youre a senior, everything is your last, so its kind of depressing to watch everything, she said. Its hard, obviously we want to be out there on the court.
As seniors, Gustin said this was their last chance to play in Indiana and Penn State. She said not being able to cherish the feelings one last time was discouraging.
However, Gustin said those emotions have to be contained. Despite being on the bench, the seniors are still leaders and must keep the team positive, she said.
There are a lot of young players on the court and theyre always watching us, Gustin said. You just have to be encouraging and not let them see (you hurting).
When the seniors will return to action is still uncertain, MSU head coach Chuck Erbe said.
Sanborn underwent successful ankle surgery last week. She did not travel with the team so she could begin rehabilitation, but a return to practice is not in the immediate future, Erbe said.
Gustin suffered a minor ligament strain that has yet to heal. Until it does, a return to practice is not an option, Erbe said.
Sarahs status is completely up in the air, he said. I dont anticipate her coming back next week. I know shes dying to get back on the floor, but if shes not competing at a high level we just cant have her on the floor. I think the greatest risk is to bring her back too early.
Erbe said he always wants to get the win. However, when it comes to injuries, he said he has a greater responsibility to the players well-being.
Theres an individual responsibility and (players have) a lot of life after volleyball, he said. When it comes to injuries, the number one thing is the physical well-being and the health of the individual, not the wins and losses.
Erbe said having two of MSUs best players out of action is frustrating, but added they are handling the situation perfectly. He said Sanborn and Gustin refuse to let the rest of the Spartans dwell on their sadness.
I dont see them manifesting those emotions around other players, he said. Theyve been very vocal and encouraging to the players on the floor. I think that Jess and Sarah have been exemplary in their behavior in some trying circumstances.