Despite his team’s losing three out of four matches to open the season, Loyola women’s volleyball coach Tommy Harold said he is not concerned. In fact, he called the first weekend of play a success.
“I think they played well,” he said. “We’re finding our way as a team. Each match was a step in the right direction.”
The team opened play this past weekend in the West Alabama tournament in Livingston, Ala. They lost the first match of the weekend to Emory University of Atlanta, Ga., who is ranked eighth in Division III volleyball, in four sets. The ‘Pack won the second set.
Elementary education senior Amanda Gilliard paced Loyola with 11 kills in the match; Suzi Ruiz, history senior, chipped in with 25 assists.
“It was a nice test for us,” Harold said. “We hung with them but could not quite get over the hump.”
The Wolfpack then fell to Martin Methodist of Pulaski, Tenn., 33-31, 17-30, 30-20, 30-22, once again winning the second set. Gilliard led the team with 15 kills.
Loyola lost its third straight match of the tournament to host West Alabama 30-27, 30-20, 30-24.
The team salvaged a victory in its first weekend of play with a 27-30, 30-17, 30-20, 30-11 victory over Millsaps College, of Jackson, Miss.
International business junior Lauren Landry had 20 kills in the victory.
Harold did not attribute his team’s slow start to lackluster play but rather to the way the preseason works.
“It was a combination of competition and early season evaluation,” he said. “I don’t think we played bad. There is always room to get better. It is just a matter of finding our identity a little more as a team. We took a big step in doing that this weekend.”
Harold said the main intention of the weekend was to see his players in live competition against an opponent rather than against each other in practice.
“The biggest thing is finding where all our pieces fit,” he said. “With me being a new coach, seeing everyone in practice is one thing, but to see how each person reacts in a game situation, that’s a different environment.”
“This is still preseason. I’m not worried at this
point. We were competitive and we’re still evaluating talent to see who fits where. This weekend will be a better indication of where we are competitively.”
Beginning today, the team will play several games in the Spring Hill tournament in Mobile, Ala. Then, next Tuesday, the ‘Pack will visit Millsaps.
Harold said he believes Loyola will get more wins this coming weekend, because the teams competing this weekend are not of the same caliber as those last weekend.
The tournament schedule is highlighted by an 11 a.m. game today against Xavier and former coach Greg Castillo, who left Loyola to start a program at Xavier after seven years at the Wolfpack’s helm.
“Our intensity is high,” communications senior Melissa Showalter said. “Everyone wants to beat them. Not out of vengeance, but to prove that our team wasn’t just Greg’s coaching.”
