Despite losing to them twice this season, the women’s volleyball team managed to beat the Mobile Rams when the chips were on the line. The victory sealed the fifth Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship for volleyball in Loyola’s history.
Prior to the tournament, the ‘Pack floundered in conference play, sharing a .500 record with Spring Hill College and Belhaven College. After the second loss to Mobile Oct. 23, head coach Tommy Harold said the team hoped to make it up at the Conference Tournament, where it really mattered.
And they did it in just four games: 30-26, 31-29, 20-30, 30-25.
“We had never played at the same level for an entire match. We were always up and down,” said Tiffany Stafford, psychology senior. “We all wanted it and knew what it took to get it.”
Sweeping the first two matches against Dillard University Nov. 9 and Belhaven Nov. 10, the ‘Pack, which last won the GCAC crown in 2002, ended the tournament by losing only one to Mobile.
“We played at the level we were supposed to be playing at the whole season,” said Stacey Kersten, mass communication junior. “We played together more.”
Three players from Loyola placed on the GCAC Conference team: Stafford, accounting senior Mary Seals and marketing senior Sarah Howard.
Seals had 20 kills and four aces and earned her 600th kill this season. She was named Conference Player of the Week and was nominated for the same category on the national level.
Stafford, GCAC Libero of the Week, had 29 digs against Mobile and averaged 6.7 a game for the entire tournament. Howard, Setter of the Week, quarterbacked the offense with 42 assists against Mobile and 124 for the tournament.
Winning the tournament reserved Loyola’s seat at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Region XIII Tournament, which starts Nov. 14 at the University of Mobile. In the first round of pool play, Loyola will face off against Belhaven College at 9 a.m. and Lee University at 2 p.m.
Before sweeping them in three games at the tournament (30-26, 30-23, 30-28). Loyola went 1-1 against Belhaven. Lee University currently leads the Southern States Athletics Conference, boasting a 12-0 conference record. The ‘Pack hasn’t played Lee this season.
“If we can play at the level we achieved last weekend then, we’ll be in good shape,” Harold said.
Steve Heath can be reached at [email protected].
