OCR Text |
Show 12 | MyWeberMedia.com | September 6, 2018 WSU volleyball players Katelyn Erwin and Andrea Hale practice between games BELLA TORRES | The Signpost By COLTON PACK Sports Reporter The Weber State University volleyball team started their season with a 3–3 record, leaving head coach Jeremiah Larsen optimistic for the rest of the season. “I think there has been a lot of learning going on,” Larsen said. “It is not an easy non-conference schedule right now. I think we’ve played some pretty good teams.” The Wildcats opened their season on Aug. 24 against Notre Dame in a tournament in South Bend, Indiana. Sophomore setter Ashlyn Power said she enjoyed the opportunity to play the Fighting Irish. “It was fun to play in the big arena and against a big team like Notre Dame,” Power said. During the second set of the match against the Irish, the Wildcats kept it close but ultimately lost 25–23. “They are really good,” Larsen said of Notre Dame, “and we didn’t show up very well, but we got better every match.” WSU finished the tournament in South Bend with a loss to Northern Kentucky before a victory over the University of Toledo. In the only win on the ‘Cats’ opening weekend, junior outside hitter Megan Gneiting had a team-high 15 kills. Over Labor Day weekend, the Wildcats traveled to South Dakota — where Power recorded a match-high 51 assists and three aces — for their second tournament of the season. They defeated South Dakota State and Green Bay before losing to Seattle University. With just three non-conference games left, senior outside hitter Andrea Hale said she is looking forward to their upcoming match against Utah Valley University in Orem on Sept. 11. “I’m really excited for UVU because I’m from down there,” Hale said. “It’s a fun instate team to play because you just want to take it to them.” Larsen is just as eager for this in-state rivalry match. “We are fired up to play UVU at their place,” Larsen said. “Last time we played there, we lost in five (sets), so we’re hoping to not do that.” The Wildcats will then travel to Logan to take on the Utah State University Aggies. The ’Cats will have their first home match of the year on Sep. 15 against Brigham Young University, which is currently ranked third in the country. “I’m not from Utah, but the times we get to play the in-state Utah teams, there is that rivalry there that is just a different component,” Power said. “That adds some more competition that is more fun for us.” On Sept. 20, the Wildcats open their conference schedule in Cedar City against Southern Utah University. The team has 18 conference matches from then until the close of the conference season on Nov. 17. “A lot of the teams we are playing right now are like the teams we get to play in the Big Sky,” said Larsen. “They are solid teams.” Comment on this story at signpost.mywebermedia.com |