By Kyle Jorrey
Sports Editor
For the first part of its season, the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team had it rough. Not only were they facing some of the nation’s top-ranked teams, but they were doing so on the road.
And through it all, head coach Nina Matthies told her team not to worry, to focus not on wins and losses, but on getting better as a team before the start of conference play. So that’s what they did — and now it’s starting to pay off.
The team has won five out of its last six games, with its only loss coming at the hands of the No. 1 ranked University of Southern California Trojans. The No. 12 Waves (12-6) are now 5-0 in the West Coast Conference, with wins against Gonzaga, Portland, Loyola-Marymount, San Francisco and Santa Clara.
Incredibly, the Waves dropped only a single game, to LMU, during their five conference games.
The team’s steadily improving play culminated this past weekend against No. 14-ranked Santa Clara, as the Waves played, according to Matthies, “the best match they’ve played all season.” The team won in three games, 30-25, 30-20, 30-21.
Senior outside hitter Katie Wilkins said the team’s impressive victory was fueled by more than just good volleyball.
“We all really wanted to play well for our coach,” Wilkins said. “There is kind of a rivalry between the coaches and we just wanted to really prove we were a much better team.
“I think we did a much better job of scouting them,” she added. “We knew new every move they were going to make before they made it and everyone on the team played flawless,” she added.
After a slow start to the season, Wilkins (All-WCC first team last year) has been the driving force behind the Waves early supremacy over the WCC. Against Santa Clara, she scored a career-high 29 kills and finished with a .591 hitting percentage.
Over the last six matches, Wilkins has lead the Waves in total-kills five times, averaging a team-high 18 kills a match.
Matthies said it was a big relief to see the team’s top scorer back in proper form.
She said Wilkin’s ability to score has forced opposing defense to concentrate on her, leaving open the rest of the Waves potent offense.
“For her to play like she’s been playing, it allows the team to relax and just play better,” Matthies said. “She literally opens things up on the court. The defense has to do things to stop her and that allows everyone else to get going … and that’s playing right into our plan. Our strength is we’re not a one-dimensional team.”
Senior setter Paola Rodriguez, who sets up Wilkins for most of her scores, is another person happy to see her back on her game.
“I think early in the season we were putting too much pressure on her, giving her too much to carry as far as the team’s offense,” Rodriguez said. “She’s just been able to use that to build her confidence … Now I can set her anywhere on the court and know she can put the ball away.”
Wilkins said even she was concerned with her play early season.
“It was really, really hard,” the junior said. “I don’t really know what was wrong, I was just kind of in a slump and one game everything just started to click.
“It’s nice to be back,” she added.
When defenses have double teamed Wilkins, fellow outside hitter Brie Harris and junior middle blockers Stacey Rouwenhorst and Lyndsey Haché have been there to make them pay. Last weekend against Santa Clara, Harris totaled 15 kills. Rouwenhorst and Hache´ had 9 and 7 kills respectively.
Freshman outside hitters Breegan Mulligan and Katy Daly have also contributed to the Waves point totals. Mulligan is now third on the team in kills with 155, behind only Wilkins (271) and Haché (171). After seeing limited time at the start of the season, Daly is averaging 2.67 kills a game, placing her fifth on the squad.
Rodriguez, who is leading the team with 12.16 assists per game, said she is not surprised with the Waves’ play as of late.
“I think we knew once conference started, and we really had time to settle down and figure things out, we were going to put it together for the end of the year,” Rodriguez said. “I don’t think necessarily we were playing all that bad, it’s just that our schedule was so tough … We realize now we do have a team that is contending to be in the Final Four.”
Matthies said the girls have been putting in overtime in the tape room, not only watching film but learning from it as well. She said the team is getting a lot more out of the days it has leading up to a match.
“We took a big step up two weeks ago in realizing what we need to do to prepare,” Matthies said. “In the Santa Clara game, we were a step ahead every play.”
Next weekend the Waves complete their tour of the WCC as they take on Saint Mary’s (5-12, 2-3 in conference) and the University of San Diego (19-4, 4-1) at home at Firestone Fieldhouse. USD expects to be the biggest challenge for the Waves out of the two must-have matches.
“They are a very good defensive team,” Matthies said about USD. “They have quick outside hitters and they are well-coached. It’s going to be a good match.”
Wilkins said that for the team to complete its goal of 14-0 in the WCC they must continue their high level of play every match.
“I think we need to just remain confident,” Wilkins said. “That has been a big problem in the past, not believing we can beat top teams. We need to keep the confidence we’ve gained so far.”
October 24, 2002