“Tic tic BOOM!” Those are the words that echo throughout the Foley gymnasium after one of the players of the Plymouth State University women’s volleyball team successfully issues a “kill” to their opponent. At the start of the 2010 season, the team had only five returners and there were several new players trying to find their niche on the team. With their regular season behind them, the team enters the little east conference tournament with confidence and a remarkable team bond.
Last fall, the PSU women’s volleyball team had an impressive overall record of 32-6; a career high for head Coach Moira Long throughout her thirteen seasons with the program. Unfortunately, this year they lost five starters from last season and were faced with the challenge of filling some big shoes from last year’s team. With five returners, seven new players, and a sport that relies solely on team communication, the 2010 women’s volleyball team was faced with the task of remaining a conference threat while trying to rebuild a new team with different dynamics. With the regular season freshly over, the PSU team is still considered a contender for the conference tournament.
“The biggest thing going in was just trying to focus on chemistry” said Long, referring to a major goal as preseason started. “For volleyball, you need to be able to communicate well, both on and off the court,” said the coach, “Understanding and accepting each other for all our strengths and weaknesses is always a big goal coming into a new season”, she stated, “especially this season with so many new players.”
The team lost two all-conference players and one All-New England pick after last season but there have been some great new additions to this year’s team according to the Coach. Two sisters, Casey and Danielle Stoodley, transferred this year to Plymouth, and both have filled starting positions on the team. Allie Jones, Shannen Vaughn, and Kaitlyn Tedeschi are three standout freshmen on the team and have also rotated throughout starting positions this season. According to coach Long, the team primarily focused on taking things one at a time, and doing it day by day. “We always strive to be in the top of our conference, but this year was more about how do we improve from every match.”
In between each play, the girls circle up and come together after every point. If someone makes a mistake, their teammates are right there making sure they shake it off and work towards that next point. If you had to guess, you would assume that such a unified team has been playing together for years. That is not exactly the case for this year’s women’s volleyball team but they do a good job fooling people. Seconds later, the ball is being served back at their enemy across the net; it hits the shiny wood floor without a hand able to slow it down and the lady panthers yell “WOOSH”, celebrating the ace served by their teammate for a split second before they regain focus and work towards their next point.
At the beginning of the season, the team had their work cut out for them. The team captains, Kelsey Petty, Sarah Cady, and Alex Avery are all key returners from last season and have worked hard to establish the tight bond the team now shares on and off the court. According to the captains, the team has become very comfortable with one another and their team unity has come a long way. Petty mentioned “A lot of us live together and we spend most of our time together outside of volleyball. We are all really close.” When the captains were asked about their post-season goals, Sarah Cady said, “We are all on the same page and we know how important the next few games are for us”.
On the floor, the girls are constantly giving each other high fives and you can physically see the tie between them all. Different girls have different handshakes and cheers with each other and operate so smoothly during transitions. According to Coach Long, “There is no way to be successful without someone else in volleyball.” If someone dives for a ball, three girls are waiting right there to help them up. If you look towards the PSU bench you will not see anyone sitting on it. The girls are constantly on their feet, right in the line of action cheering for their teammates. Between every single play, the girls come together for a split second, exchange a few words, clap, and then focus right back on the next play. In women’s volleyball, they play best of five matches, with each match being first team to twenty-five points. Each point is critical and you can sense the intensity among the players on the court as each ball is served.
According to Sarah Cady, one of the team captains, “we are always laughing on the court, but it’s the one way we keep our energy and emotions positive.” Many things make this year’s volleyball team special and Coach Long said “a lot of new players are contributing in major ways this season, and this is one of the best groups I think I have ever coached.”
Tuesday, Oct. 26, the lady panther volleyball players wore pink shoe laces, sweatbands and some even had pink streaks in their hair to support the “dig pink” theme of the night during their game against UMASS Boston. The event supported and helped raised money for the fight against breast cancer. It was also the team’s “Senior Night”, and they honored the lone senior, Kelsey Petty. “The past four years at Plymouth would not have been the same if I did not play volleyball here. I have met so many good friends, and have learned so much over the years. Volleyball has had such an impact on my college experience” stated Petty, “I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
The girls battled back and forth with the highly ranked Beacons, holding leads and battling against some strong UMASS players and unfortunately lost in three sets. Although the loss bumped their conference record to 4-2, (17-12) the team wasted no time sulking over it, and plans on seeing them again during the Little East Conference tournament. According to coach Long, “we lost to UMASS Boston but I couldn’t have been more proud of how we played. We prepared, we executed and it just wasn’t our day.” As the team prepares to host the first round of the LEC tournament, they have nothing but high hopes for the post season. “We believe that we can win the conference, if we play our style of volleyball, I think we can play with anybody” said the Coach. The girls are set to host the first round of the tournament Tues., Nov. 2, against Rhode Island College.