By Antonio Flowers
Staff Writer
A 14-12 record may not sound like the most impressive mark, but for the CSUDH’s women’s volleyball team, those numbers last season were a huge achievement. It was the squad’s first season above. 500 since 1984.
And though the team lost two-time all-conference outside hitter Claire Autry, along with a few other key seniors, head coach Jennifer Adeva, now in her eighth year, says a core of juniors and seniors and solid new arrivals, including transfer students, should keep the team heading in a winning direction.
Adeva mentioned junior outside hitter Tati Yandall and senior middle blockers Esther Duro and Cecilia Lucas as key veterans who should impress upon newer players the importance of “focusing on their serving and passing,” she said. “It’s really [key]for us to win the ‘serve and pass’ battle.” Communication among the players on the court is also key, Adeva said, something that is “sort of our strong suit.”
To become a legitimate playoff team, Adeva said, the squad also must keep its physicality and aggressiveness at a high level.
The Toros face a brutal conference schedule this year, Adeva said, as many conference foes have gotten better with key performers from last season returning.
“San Bernardino, Cal State LA, I think they are going to be really tough and Sonoma State along with Chico up north will be tough as well,” Adeva said. “I think every team is going to be a tough battle, it’s going to be hard.”
The team, which is currently 4-5 lost it’s first two conference games against San Francisco State and Cal State East Bay.
“San Francisco State has improved a bunch and they have a great hitter, they have better ball control,” Adeva said. But she added the Toros match up “pretty well, and we have a pretty solid squad going up the.”
The Toros host their first game against the San Diego Christian and conference archrival Cal State LA visits Saturday, Sept. 15.
Photo from gotoros.com
