Point Loma Nazarene University’s women’s club volleyball team has seen a successful season, ranking No. 4 in the nation and being one of six teams to qualify for the tournament championship in the Division II Southern California Collegiate Volleyball League (SCCVL).
With a record of 11 wins and five losses, they will compete for first place on April 12 at the Rancho Sports Center in Temecula, CA. Opponents are to be determined. To qualify, it was a combination of the amount of wins and how often they played in the league, counting tournaments and no forfeits.
The team’s success came to the surprise of Ryan Woodall, a third-year team captain. She said it’s because they haven’t ranked that high in the past two years.
She credits the success to the team’s leadership and the first-year players who bring talent and energy.
“I feel like our dynamic is better this year; there’s more positivity,” Woodall said, who’s been on the team for three years. “Our freshmen have been really, really amazing, like very competitive, very committed. … having the energy on the team definitely pushes us forward.”
They also went undefeated in a two-day tournament at Momentous Volleyball Club in Irvine, CA, from Feb. 1-2.
Reece Gibson, a first-year middle blocker, said her experience on the team has been a balance of competitive and fun. To qualify for the championship tournament was also surprising to her, she said.
“It feels amazing,” Gibson said. “I did not expect that, but it’s a very, very pleasant surprise, and I’m so proud of everyone.”
Gibson said she thinks it’s the captains and the first-years’ mindset and attitude going into the season that’s brought them far.
“We all earned our spot to be [on the team], so we don’t want to waste that or take advantage of that, so we worked really hard,” Gibson said. “I think the freshman class is full of some really good leaders.”
Woodall, also a middle blocker, said her favorite aspect of being a part of the team is being competitive while having fun.
“Our club team here is really competitive – we make a lot of cuts and you have to work for playing time,” Woodall said. “[But] the overall goal is to be together, play the sport that you love and hang out rather than making winning the priority over having a good community.”
The team is self-coached and practices once a week, typically on Sundays. Captains serve as player-coaches, as they lead the game rotations, transportation and registration for tournaments.
Woodall and the two other captains meet for dinner before practice and plan out what they want it to look like, Woodall said. They often ask the team for feedback on the structure of their practices and leadership to create a healthy environment.
Kate Moulton, a fourth-year captain, said balancing being a player and acting as a coach can be tough. She said her goal is to ensure the team always knows the root of her decisions, such as when she puts herself into a game.
“We always want to make sure we put the best six girls on the court,” the setter said, “and sometimes that means having to make hard choices because … I know exactly how the other girls might take the decisions I make.”
Woodall said they practice during open gym hours because they aren’t able to reserve the gym for a specific time.
Jordan Courneya, PLNU’s interim athletic director, said it’s school policy that clubs can’t reserve time to practice due to the limited space and need to accommodate intramurals, open gym time, academic classes and university team practices.
He said clubs are allowed to make one reservation for a home event if facilities are available on the request date, but Woodall said they can’t host due to there only being one court.
With this being Moulton’s last season and Woodall’s as she’s graduating early, Moulton said her hope for the team is for the girls to continue loving the sport.
“I hope they remember what and who they are representing when they play – Point Loma and Jesus Christ,” she said. “I can only hope that after I leave, they continue to create a team of good, kind, strong women.”
To stay updated on the championship, follow the team’s Instagram: @plnuwvbc or check the SCCVL website.
Cade Michaelson 
Jonathan Raditsas