HPU volleyball hungry for conference title
From left to right- Haley Barnes, junior; Molly Livingston, sophomore; Savannah Angel, senior; Amy Pilat, junior; Jenna Smith, freshman; and Megan Kennedy, senior. Photo by: Liz Reichart
By Kaitlyn Creekmore// Staff Writer
Even though the season just began, the volleyball team already has their eye set on the NCAA tournament in November. With an undefeated start in their home territory, the team has an impressive 7-3 record so far, and the season looks promising. With wins over Wofford, William & Mary, UNCG, Elon, Youngstown State, NC State, and Delaware, the girls are starting strong.
With two freshmen, one red shirt freshman, five sophomores, three juniors, two seniors, and one red shirt senior, the team is looking powerful under new head coach Tom Mendoza along with returning assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, Jake Hong. Mendoza previously worked for Creighton University as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
“I felt that the philosophy of the university and athletic department were in line with my beliefs as far as the student-athlete experience and the quality of education that we could provide,” Mendoza said. “I also felt that we could compete for Big South championships, and make a name for the volleyball program on the national stage.”
Relying on the experience and leadership of the older girls, Mendoza expects the new freshmen to step up and be ready to play.
“Right now we are focused on the process of performing at our best and continuing to get better with each practice and match,” Mendoza said. “We are definitely preparing ourselves to put together a season that would win the conference regular season, then be peaking for the conference tournament in November.”
Mendoza explains that team chemistry can go a long way on the court. The team has been working hard to not only improve physically, but mentally as well. The players spend countless hours in the gym, on the court, and in classes to ensure that they become one unified group.
“It’s a group with great culture and camaraderie, and that is one of our biggest strengths,” Mendoza said. “We have the physical tools to be successful, but a lot of talented teams get sidetracked throughout the long season by a myriad of possible distractions, some legitimate and some petty. I think this group of high character with positive leadership coming from more than just our captains or seniors, so I think we can handle those challenges better than our competition. Also, our depth in physical talent allows us to spread out the workload so that different players are stepping up each match. Hopefully that will help us handle the physical rigors of the season, and still have fresh legs late in the season when other teams are wearing out.”
Sophomore Molly Livingston is very excited to be back out on the court again this year.
“We are hungry to win our conference [this year],” Livingston said.
Emerging as an HPU Female Student Athlete of the Week and the Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Livingston has been an integral part of the team’s success so far this year. At her position of middle blocker, she says one of her goals of the season is to be in the top rankings in the Big South for hitting percentage and blocks per set. She already leads the team’s blocks per set with 1.03.
Hong believes in the phrase, “Be fearless.”
“Volleyball is a huge mental game and so hearing this was a great reminder that you need to just go out there and play without doubt in your mind,” Hong said.
Livingston, along with her teammates, all agree on one thing – despite the activities on the court, team chemistry is one of the most important things.
“One thing that has really made this season so incredible is our team chemistry,” Livingston said. “Our team has a great balance of being fierce competitors on the court, yet maintaining close relationships off the court.” She also credits her coaches for knowing how to capitalize on the team’s strengths and pick them up from their weaknesses.
“We all knew that there would be adjustments to make with having a new head coach, and Coach Tom has done a fantastic job of working with our team and introducing new things to us,” Livingston said.
The team looks ahead to the rest of the season with a hopeful eye that they will end their journey in Lynchburg, VA for the Big South tournament in two months. For season information, visit highpointpanthers.com.