Midseason round-up: Volleyball and women’s soccer

VOLLEYBALL

After coming off of a NCCAA national championship from the 2013 season, the PLNU women’s volleyball team has a record of 10-6 in NCAA Division II play.

Despite their continued success, first year Head Coach Jonathan Scott believes the team has yet to meet their preseason goals.

“The easy answer is no,” said Scott. “We’re coming off of a national championship – not at the NCAA level – and because of that we have really high expectations. With that being said, we’re playing really hard. We’re playing with a great deal of effort and enthusiasm, which is the most important part of our expectations, to me.”

Offensively, the team is playing well, outscoring their opponents 1474 to 1285 in total points while averaging 14.3 kills per game to their opponents’ 10.3. Defense, however, needs improvement as the team is leading their opponents in errors this season—348 to 304.

“We’ve been doing a lot of things that started this preseason that were very long-term oriented,” said Scott. “What I am proud of with our team is that we have a great deal of offensive firepower. Where that can hurt us is that our errors can also get high. So that’s the constant battle that we’re facing in terms of scoring points versus giving points.”

The women’s volleyball team looks to make improvements as they move into the second half of the season. The team travels to Hawaii next week for three games. Their next home game is Oct. 25 against Azusa Pacific.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

The PLNU women’s soccer team – composed of 14 underclassmen – are excelling with youthful players, boasting a 7-2 overall record halfway through the season.

Head Coach Tim Hall elaborated on their recent success.

“The girls have great hearts and desire. They work hard and they are focused. They are committed,” Hall said via email. “They are also talented soccer players. I am proud of them for the way they are coming together as a team. They are starting to mesh and find ways to be successful even when they don’t play up to the level they should, which is a sign of a good team.”

After a slow 1-2 start to the season, the team rebounded nicely by going on a six game winning streak. Currently, the team stands at first place in the PacWest with an undefeated record in conference play. The Sea Lions also boast the highest point total in the conference.

“I knew that we were going to be competitive this season, and we expected to be in the battle for the conference,” Hall said via email. “We are thrilled to be in the position we are in at this point in the season.”

Looking forward, Hall said some improvements need to be made by the team.

“We need to improve on being a more consistent team on the field,” said Hall. “We play segments of the games very well, and then segments of the games below our potential. I feel we must get to where we can play well for longer periods of time during a game.”

Look for the team to continue their success against Dominican at home on Oct. 16.