ZACH ENGLUND
Sports Assistant
One week into the season for the Pepperdine women’s volleyball team and it has already been an emotional rollercoaster ride for the team and spectators.
Nationally ranked No. 19, Pepperdine opened the season with two games against No.-7 Hawaii, which proved to be an immediate test in handling pressure. The Waves came extremely close to an upset, taking Hawaii to the limit in both contests, but the Wahine held on to secure both wins in dramatic fashion.
After two hard-fought loses in Hawaii, they returned home for their opener Friday in another tough matchup against No.-8 Texas. After winning 35-33 in the first set of the night, the Waves went on to drop the next three, fighting valiantly all the way through. After three games of close calls and emotional finishes, a record of 0-3 for the Waves was rightfully tough to swallow.
Since that time, they have re-gathered themselves and turned some things around. Following a decisive win against Long Island on Saturday, the Waves scratched, clawed and willed themselves to victory against Cal Poly, winning three straight sets to seal it after initially falling behind 2-1 to the surging Mustangs.
After recording a season high 21 kills Saturday night, senior middle blocker Sophia Milo was named Asics Classic Tournament MVP, ensuring that the waves (2-3) would not drop yet another close match. What makes the win even more impressive is that Cal Poly was not only undefeated, but also had beaten Texas earlier that day.
After posting a 2-1 record in the tournament, Pepperdine tied Cal Poly and Texas for the tournament championship. Milo, along with Julie Rubenstein, made the All-Tournament Team for their outstanding play, concluding what was an excellent weekend for the waves.
Freshman sensation Kayla Walker said she thinks playing such tough ranked teams right at the beginning gave them a competitive edge.
“It put our level of play so much higher than maybe if we were to play a lower-seeded team.” she said, “Our level of intensity and focus is so much higher now.”
After losing all tightly contested games, the waves could very easily have a winning record, so the team does not lack confidence by any stretch of the imagination. Walker thinks the team is much better than their record suggests, saying, “Once we get our passing more consistent, we’re going to dominate.”
Walker, along with the other players, didn’t want to dismiss a big part of what made this weekend so successful, the fans.
“When you hear that crowd cheer, it gives you such an adrenaline rush,” she said with much enthusiasm.
Head Coach Nina Matthies shared the player’s sentiments.
“Make sure you put something in there about the fans,” she said. “They really do make a difference.”
The players all agreed that Friday night was the biggest crowd they have ever had during the regular season, which goes to show that the team is not alone in anticipating big things this year.
Pepperdine’s next game will not be until Friday night when they play in the Golden Bear Invitational in Berkley, California. Competing against the Waves will be American, Colorado State and No.-17 Cal, foreshadowing what will most likely be another challenging weekend for the Waves, who will look to build on the momentum of their two-game winning streak.
09-07-2006
