Consistency is key for volleyball’s conference run
October 7, 2014
With an overall record of 5-12 and 0-2 in conference the Hornet’s volleyball team is looking forward to applying their progress toward Big Sky competition from this point on.
Coach Ruben Volta said although every conference game is important, he believes what is most important for his team is to focus on the consistency of how they play.
“We’ve shown signs of being a really good team and at times we’ve just been a little up and down. I’m more worried about us playing consistent,” Volta said.
When it comes to feeling prepared the coaches remain confident in the women, but it comes down to how the Hornet players perform.
“Preseason gives us sort of a glance or a window into how we’ve been playing and areas we need get better at,” Volta said.
This is the team’s youngest squad to date, with a record- breaking eight freshman. Volta feels prepared for the second half of the season despite the squad’s lack of experience.
During preparation for conference, the Hornets have been practicing different aspects of the game. Serving and passing are two skills in particular the team has been focusing a lot on. The team has had a total of 90 service aces this season, averaging 10.84 assists per set.
The women are averaging 11.42 kills per set, 13.59 digs per set and have an average hitting percentage of .159 in 17 matches this season.
“You constantly have to work at everything and we’re trying to just improve in every part of the game,” Volta said.
Sophomore outside hitter Morgan Stanley feels her team needs to improve their level of play. The contributing factor of this issue deals with the youthful team struggling to figure out what kind of identity to adopt.
“We don’t dwell on it [the inexperience], we learn from it,” Stanley said. “We get better and better every game.” Stanley believes that the way the team gels together allows them to continue to improve.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Aikels is equipped for conference knowing their team camaraderie is a strength capable of propelling them to the tournament.
“We have a chemistry this year and you can see that a lot better on the court,” Aikels said. “That was a pre-season record, and conference is a new slate for us.”
Sloan Lovett and Stanley, starting outside hitters, have missed time due to injuries and competed in 13 of 17 contests heading into Big Sky action. Lovett was sidelined due to an ankle injury sustained in the beginning of the season which prompted her to be absent against rival UC Davis.
As for the Hornets’ 5-10 preseason record, Volta said the team tries not to focus on that. He believes that the squad let a couple wins slip away from them and in order to succeed in down the road they will need to perform better as a unit.
The women discussed how conference is a bit different from preseason in a sense that they can gauge where they are at, learn from it and apply it to conference games. It is allowing the team to re-evaluate their goals.
The Hornets choose to look at their season opening tournaments from a perspective of learning how they can get better and succeed. The team wants to keep things simple, show up to play, get a win and not focus on the numbers.
“That’s really what we’re trying to get across to all of our young players, is a standard and a level of play we want to compete at,” Volta said.
Volta said the women will approach conference the same way they would any other game. They prepare for their opponent match by match and try not to make one game bigger than another.
Eight out of 12 teams with the best record from conference will earn a trip to postseason conference play. The women are determined to advance to the Big Sky Championship and edge out their competition to make it to the NCAA Division I Tournament.