Junior middle blocker Irelynd Lorenzen (left) and senior outside hitter Iva Popovic (right) go up for a ball during an Aug. 26 practice in Firestone Fieldhouse. Popovic is new to the team this year and was named to the WCC Preseason Team. Photos by Melissa Houston
Some would be satisfied with an overall conference preseason ranking of No. 2 – but not the Pepperdine Waves.
“It’s nice that the conference thinks very highly of us,” Head Coach Scott Wong said. “We also have a little bit of we want to be number one. We want to be champs.”
After tying for second place in the West Coast Conference last season, the Waves are ready to work for the No. 1 spot this time around – and they might have the tools they need to do so.
Along with being ranked No. 2 in the WCC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, there is a trio of Pepperdine players that were named to the WCC Preseason Team, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
Sophomore middle blocker Ella Piskorz and graduate middle blocker Vanessa Polk are the two returning Waves to be given this honor. Piskorz and Polk are both expected to be huge threats on the court, building on the success they’ve already had as Waves, Wong said.
“I was really grateful to receive that honor,” Polk said. “I came off of an injury last year, so I’m getting back into the swing of things, and I feel like I owe it to my team for helping me and pushing me to be better every single day.”
Piskorz had a standout freshman year last season, according to Pepperdine Athletics. The Canadian earned All-WCC First Team and All-WCC Freshman Team honors. She also earned WCC Defensive Player of the Week and WCC Freshman of the Week on Sept. 16 after racking up 12 blocks against top-5 teams Stanford and Pitt.
Polk redshirted her 2024 season but is ready to make a triumphant return to the court for Pepperdine. She is stepping up to serve as one of the team’s captains this year alongside junior setter Brynne McGhie, Wong said.
“They’ve been around for a few years each, and they understand the level and standard that we need to be great,” Wong said. “So, I think it starts with them.”
Polk also has an impressive resume she’s looking to build upon this year. In 2022, Polk earned WCC All-Freshman Team and WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll ‘Silver’ Honors alongside being a Pepperdine Scholar Athlete, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
The accolades continued in 2023, as Polk earned All WCC and WCC All-Academic Honorable Mentions, WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll ‘Silver’ and CSC Academic All-District first team honors as well as being a Pepperdine Scholar Athlete.
“[Polk] is definitely someone I aspire to be as a leader and as a teammate,” Freshman setter Tristen Raymond said.
Sophomore outside hitter Chloe Pravednikov is a returner that will play a bigger role on the squad this year, Wong said. Pravednikov already had an impressive debut season as she earned All-WCC Freshman Team honors.
“She’s growing into a much bigger role, and she has just been wonderful – brilliant at times – with her new role in scoring points,” Wong said.
Sophomore middle blocker Ella Piskorz goes for the kill in an Aug. 26 practice in Firestone Fieldhouse. Piskorz is one of three Waves named to the WCC Preseason Team.
Piskorz, Polk and Pravednikov will be part of an important set of returners looking to bring more success to the Women’s Indoor Volleyball team, Wong said.
“The core group that are returning understand what Pepperdine Women’s Volleyball is about,” Wong said. “Our theme is one team, one heartbeat.”
While these returners will play a huge role on this year’s squad, Wong also said there is a lot of change with the program this year. The Waves lost some huge names last year, such as All-WCC First Team selections Grace Chillingworth and Birdie Hendrickson.
“We like where we’re at, but we have some room to grow into in terms of who we are as a team,” Wong said. “There’s a need to re-establish who we are.”
One of the newcomers that will be stepping up this year will be senior outside hitter Iva Popovic, Wong said. Popovic was one of just three newcomers to the league who made the All-WCC Preseason Team, according to Pepperdine Athletics.
“Really excited about her [Popovic] and what she’s added to the program,” Wong said. “She’s got the tenacity and fire to her that is just awesome.”
Head coach Scott Wong talks to his team during an Aug. 26 practice in Firestone Fieldhouse. Wong is entering his 11th year as the head coach for Pepperdine Women’s Indoor Volleyball.
Wong said the standard Chillingworth and Hendrickson left behind is still there, and he is looking to his new players to fill these roles. Another fresh face for the Waves that is looking to make an impact will be Raymond, the freshman setter from Peoria, Ariz.
“Tristen Raymond, talking about her ability just to impact the culture of our team as a freshman,” Wong said. “[She] will have a big role with us as a setter and hitter, and another just game changer in terms of play, but also just attitude.”
As the team prepares for the season to officially get underway, they have been working hard in the gym – both on and off the court. Raymond said the double practice days have been very competitive and every workout takes them one step closer to achieving their season goals.
“We are staying hard and disciplined in our workouts, in the weight room and at practice,” Raymond said.
Polk said she feels good about this year’s team, especially with the dynamic they have between the classes. The Waves want to be No. 1, but Polk has also seen firsthand that rankings hold little to no weight in what actually happens.
“We try to go into every game with a fresh mindset and kind of a nameless, faceless opponent, just taking it one step at a time and trying to win,” Polk said. “That’s the goal at the end of the day.”
Pepperdine has already been seeing action on the court. The team played five sets against the University of Southern California, where all but two players saw the court and got to experiment with the lineup, according to Pepperdine Athletics. The Waves traveled up north for the Sacramento State Invitational to kick off season this weekend but officially start conference play Sept. 25 at home against the University of San Diego.
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