After finishing third in the conference last year, the women’s volleyball team got off to a false start in the 2008 season opener. The team opened their season last weekend with the River City Tournament at Marietta, fighting through a series of four matches to earn a 1-4 record.
But much of the weekend was spent forging a new team, a team that is cohesive, organized and a true threat on the court.
This new season marks the second year of head coach Sarah Davis’s tenure. “Every time you bring a new coach, there’s a new persona, but it’s been a smooth transition. We have our largest team we’ve ever had, so it’s good to have new ideas,” said Ali Drushal ’09.
While their three losses (to Grove City 14-25, 17-25, 25-18 and 26-38, as well as to Thiel and Bluffton, in five and four games respectively) might seem a tough way to start a season, it hasn’t fazed Abbie Casey ’09.
“The first match was a little rocky because we are all still getting used to each other, especially because our team is rather young, we realize it will take time for us to get comfortable playing with each other.
“However, by the end of the weekend, we started becoming more comfortable and because of that we were able to play at a more competitive level,” said Casey.
Such was the tone for the Scots, who played a much more notable weekend than results reveal ‚Ä” Bluffton, which provided Wooster’s final loss, fell to Wooster 3-0 in their first showdown on Friday, and Thiel College narrowly edged out Wooster with three wins to Wooster’s two in their face-off.
Both Bluffton and Thiel would end up with 3-1 records, witness to Wooster’s subtle strength on the court.
In addition, seniors Ali Drushal ’09 and Megan Earle ’09 were named to the all-tournament team for their performances. Casey made special note of Earle’s performance, saying that “she dominated the front row and worked so hard through all of the pain. She was such a positive asset on the court this weekend.”
Going into their tournament this week at Berea, the team is looking to their 3-0 win over Bluffton for signs of how things can work out when the team meshes perfectly.
“When we played Bluffton we really stepped it up,” said Casey. “Everything started coming together and it was fun to be out on the court and play in a game where you can play against good competition and work together to pull through for a win.”
While the team does have to bring in new players to replace two of last year’s key offensive contributors in Carolyn Ciriegi ’08 and Erin Wright ’08, Drushal feels talent won’t be an issue ‚Ä” as long as the team avoids injuries.
“We need to stay healthy. We have six returners; we’re not totally new. We have people that can fill in at all the positions, so it’s good to have depth. We’re going to have to replace two offensive players, but it’s a new year,” said Drushal.
After this weekend’s tournament, the team will enjoy its first home games on Sept. 12, first against Otterbein at 4 p.m. and then against Ursuline at 8 p.m.
Their first NCAC game is Sept. 19 at conference powerhouse rivals Hiram College.