On Nov. 5, two championships were won. The first was that of the World Series for Major League Baseball. It saw the Houston Astros beat the Philadelphia Phillies to claim their second title in five years. The other was the American Rivers Conference volleyball tournament championship that saw Buena Vista fall to Coe.  

There are plenty of articles and coverage on the two winning teams of these contests. However, the losing sides of these title games deserve to be talked about. Not only for the fact that both teams had great seasons and playoff runs but also because there are many similarities between them.  

The Phillies were ranked sixth out of six on the National League side of the playoff bracket and were not thought of as World Series contenders. They proved naysayers wrong with a sweep of the third-seeded Cardinals, taking three of four games against the second-seeded and division-rival Braves and then beating the Padres in four of five games to advance to the World Series. Of their nine wins in this stretch, they were on the road for four of them. They then went up against the juggernaut that is the Astros and took two games from them, including one in Houston. This is more than anybody thought they would win.  

The Beavers showed similar tenacity in their playoff run in the ARC tournament. While they were the third seed compared to the Phillies’ sixth seed, they were similarly underestimated. The Beavers started off with Simpson at home on Nov. 1, where they pulled off an incredible sweep of three sets against the Storm. This was a significant statement considering Simpson had beaten BV earlier in the regular season, three sets to one.  

Many believed this would be the only win the Beavers would be able to secure in the tournament, as they would have to go on the road to face second-seed Wartburg. Wartburg had also beaten BV three sets to one in the regular season and was seen as a better team than the Storm. The Beavers showed their magic again, however, as they upset the Knights three sets to one. This was revenge for earlier in the year.  

Similar to the Phillies, the Beavers had proved naysayers wrong with postseason magic and relentless pursuit to keep winning. BV would now have to face the volleyball juggernaut of the ARC in Coe, just like the Phillies had to take on the Astros. Again, much like the Phillies, the Beavers fell short of taking down the juggernaut. Both teams showed great fight as BV took a set against the nationally ranked Kohawks.  

Another similarity worth mentioning between these otherwise contrasting teams is the fanbase. The fans of Philadelphia were not content with just making the playoffs. They wanted more and rallied behind their team to make sure they knew they had the support of their city. The community of Storm Lake also rallied behind their team to show their support.  

The one home game the Beavers had in the tournament against Simpson felt different. The stands were packed with not just parents and friends, but BV students, high school students, and other sports coaches as well. The student section may have been the loudest I have heard it, and you could see it affect both teams as the Beavers got momentum early and kept it the rest of the game.  

While neither team had the desired outcome, both the Phillies and Beavers took huge steps for their programs, which should set them up for future success as well as future respect.