Volleyball keeps positive outlook while rebuilding
Posted by The Skyliner on October 1st, 2008Cody Fields
Staff Writer
The North Greenville volleyball team continued its struggles as it dropped its sixth straight match Sept. 23 against Southern Wesleyan University. The Warriors swept NGU 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-18).
NGU played competitively in the first and third sets, starting the third set on a 6-1 run. SWU, however, utilized their greater experience to put away the Crusaders.
“Defensively, we passed well, but we really struggled with servicing,” head coach Lauren Axson said. “That led to a breakdown in the entire game.”
The team, with a record of 3-13, is in the rebuilding process and is on pace to improve on last year’s 4-29 campaign. Axson is quick to point out that NGU’s victories this year have come against teams that beat them last year, and the schedule is tougher.
“Last year, teams beat us solidly and would put their subs in,” Axson said. “This year, we’re taking teams to four or five games, and the scores are closer.”
The team is also very young, with only three seniors and one junior on the roster compared to four freshman and four sophomores.
“Right now we’re very inexperienced, so make a lot of mistakes because of that,” Axson said. “We’re physically there, but we can’t close.”
Axson has seen improvement over the last year with her team. She cites team unity as playing a key role in the faster and more intense pace of play and practice.
The team is keeping a positive outlook for the future as the group gains experience as a unit.
“We have a good group coming back next year,” Axson said. “We’ll keep working hard, and we’ll only get better.”
The team will travel on Friday to play Chowan at 4 p.m, before playing Roanoke University and Virginia Wesleyan University on Saturday with both games at VWU.
Tags: Fall 2008, Vol. 108 Fall - Issue 4