The volleyball team started the new season by travelling to Utah to compete in the Utah Classic Tournament. The Leopards began the tournament on Aug. 29, losing to No. 24 Dayton University and Washington State University 3-1 and 3-0, respectively. They also dropped a 3-0 contest against the No. 23 hosts Utah University on Saturday.
This was the first time the Leopards (0-3 overall) have played under new head coach CJ Werneke.
“It was easy for us to get acclimated and easy for us to just hit the ground running in the off-season,” said sophomore outside hitter Destiny McKenzie about adjusting to the new coach.
“I feel like he did a very good job of just taking things slower,” she continued. “It wasn’t too difficult for us to hop on board with his plan.”
The Maroon and White were able to steal a set from the Flyers (2-1 overall), which was the only one they managed on the weekend. The first two sets finished with an identical score of 25-18 in favor of Dayton, but the Leopards kept it close throughout.
Senior middle blocker Abby Nicholson led the charge in the third set, recording two of her game-high ten kills during the period. Early on, the Flyers jumped to a 6-2 lead and continued to build, pulling ahead to a 12-6 margin. A five-point run from the Leopards, highlighted by a service ace from sophomore setter Mackenzie Calhoun, decreased the deficit to one.
Although the Flyers mounted a 24-20 lead, there was no quit in the Leopards. Facing a sweep, the Maroon and White recorded six straight points to end the set 26-24.
Nicholson said that it was exciting to steal a set from such a highly ranked team.
“We were neck and neck with some of these teams who are in the top 25,” she said. “It’s definitely a positive and is exciting to see, especially early on in the season, to see how far we can go within the Patriot League.”
The second match of the day against Washington State (1-2 overall) was marked by a big run from the Cougars, as they went on an 11-4 run to open the first set.
After the first set finished 25-16, the second set started out more competitively for the Leopards as they traded points with the Cougars throughout, although Washington State ultimately secured a 25-18 victory. The Leopards started the third set promisingly with an early 8-5 lead, but momentum quickly shifted as the Cougars went on a 16-3 run to confirm the sweep.
Kicking off Saturday’s action against the Utes (3-0 overall), the Leopards kept themselves within three points, but a late run gave the hosts a 25-17 victory. The Maroon and White once again paced themselves in the next frame, trailing 19-16, but gave up a 6-0 run to drop the second set.
The Utes jumped to an early 5-0 lead in set three and followed it up with a 10-4 run. The Leopards attempted to claw back, but Utah held on to secure a 25-14 victory and the sweep.
McKenzie led the Leopards in kills and blocks with five and two, respectively.
“While I was playing, I was just like, ‘do the best you can in each situation with what you’re given, and try to be the best teammate that you can be, even when you’re not on the court,’” McKenzie said. “Having that mindset to where even if we’re losing, that we’re still fighting.”
While not satisfied with the outcome, Nicholson said she was pleased by the team’s performance.
“I think this was kind of working out the kinks before league play,” she said. “But overall, I think we were all super pleased with how we played this weekend, especially against such good opponents.”
The Leopards will return to action this weekend in the Red Flash Classic hosted by Saint Francis University.