Wolf Pack volleyball saw their eight game winning streak come to an end last weekend when they traveled to play the top ranked team in the Southern States Athletic Conference, the University of Mobile, and lost in a close five-set match.
“I think the whole team walked out of there with their heads held high,” head coach Jesse Zabal said. “We played a really strong match and we are a completely different team from the first day of the season. They were proud of the work they put in and they know that Mobile is in the same position we were last year and we’d likely see them at some point during the conference tournament. And I think they’re all motivated by that.”
The result saw the Wolf Pack drop to 10-15 overall record, but with a 7-5 record in SSAC play, Loyola is only one game behind the third placed team in the conference William Carey University, who they’ll play on Nov. 9 to close the regular season.
“Our last regular season match with William Carey is a big one,” Zabal said. “This group knows that we’ve been dominant against them the past few years and want to prove that we still are. We’re looking to keep the energy high, remain steady in our commitment to bettering ourselves individually and as whole, and not take for granted any moment that we have to keep growing.”
The team finds themselves in slightly unfamiliar territory this season, as they don’t have total control over where they finish in conference play, after last season’s 13-2 conference record saw them clinch a second place finish and a trip to the conference semifinals.
“This has been an interesting year in the SSAC,” Zabal said. “There’s a lot up in the air and we still have to wait for these final matches to play out to see conference seedings. That’s not been the case for the past three to four years.”
Despite the uncertainty that is surrounding the team as the regular season comes to a close, Coach Zabal said the team can only focus on growing and getting better with every match they play.
“There may be some scenarios that are a better path for us, but we’re just going to keep focusing on one match at a time,” she said. “This group has shown a unique ability to regroup and refocus on the goals at hand. They could’ve allowed the season to be what it was and the losses to overcome their ability to turn things around, but they didn’t. They have grown to trust each other on the court, get their jobs done, and have each other’s backs.”
And with the postseason rapidly approaching, the Wolf Pack are setting their sights on making a run back to the conference championship, something they haven’t done since the 2021-22 season.
“We’ll be guaranteed three matches [in the conference tournament] and of course our goal will be to win all three,” Zabal said. “Second, at the very least we want to finish top two in our pool, then make it beyond semi-finals, and ultimately, we’d like to achieve the goal of winning the conference tournament title, something we haven’t done yet.”
The SSAC Tournament begins on Nov. 13 in Montgomery, Ala. and the Wolf Pack will be looking to perform well enough there to secure a place in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics National Tournament when teams are announced on Nov. 18 at 12 p.m.
“I’m excited to see where the season takes us in the next few weeks,” Zabal said.
