The Loyola volleyball team is rounding into form as conference play ramps up and the conference tournament nears.
The team is carrying a record of 15 wins and 4 losses, and played a tough non conference schedule to open the season, facing six opponents ranked in the top 25 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics polls.
“We’re playing at a high level right now,” said head coach Jesse Zabal. “So making sure we continually find small pieces of our game to focus on and improve is important. It’s often the little things that separate the top teams from the middle of the pack teams when it’s all said and done.”
The difficult non-conference schedule has created a close bond between the team as they have grown closer as the games grow more important.
“We’ve really been able to bond as a team over the past few weeks because we travel so much,” junior libero and biochemistry student Simone Moreau said. “We put an emphasis on having fun as a team whether we’re getting on a plane or taking a bus somewhere and I think it’s been a big reason for our success on the court.”
Alongside her team’s success, Moreau has also garnered some individual accolades this season, surpassing 1,000 digs for her career and being named the Southern States Athletic Conference Defender of the Week for the sixth time in her career, breaking the program record for that recognition.
“I didn’t actually know I had hit that milestone until they announced it over the PA,” said Moreau. “I had never really thought about it, and it was kind of crazy. I’m only in my junior year, so to hit it so soon has motivated me to try and hit 2,000 digs for my career. It’s really cool to have that accomplishment and I’m excited to see what else comes next!”
The Wolf Pack’s success has gained them national recognition, as they finished just outside of the top 25 and received national votes in the most recent NAIA in-season polls for the third straight week.
“We came extremely close to becoming a top 25 ranked team in the last preseason poll,” senior middle blocker and finance major Emily Sheperis said. “Since I have been here, this has been a goal of our team, and we are so close to reaching it. It really shows the growth our program is going through.”
As conference play continues, the Wolf Pack are taking these games one at a time and preparing for the conference tournament approaches in November.
“I’m very proud of the work the team continues to put in and as long as we continue to do that, we will finish the season strong,” Zabal said. “Our goal is to continue to show the raters that we deserve the credit to be seen as one of the top teams in the country. We know we have the ability to win all of them and to finish with the best overall record in conference play. After that, our next goal will be to win the conference tournament.”
