As the women’s volleyball season at Seton Hill University (SHU) comes to a close, players and coaches alike are pleased with the overall outcome. The team welcomed six freshmen, two of whom were forced to start their first year due to injury. According to Rick Hall, the team’s head coach, these new players adjusted rather quickly to meet the team’s standards.
�The girls did a really good job as a whole. There is a learning curve in college volleyball. The game is a lot faster than in high school . It usually takes a year or so for most players to adjust,� he said.
By Kathleen Walker,
Staff Writer
As the women’s volleyball season at Seton Hill University (SHU) comes to a close, players and coaches alike are pleased with the overall outcome. The team welcomed six freshmen, two of whom were forced to start their first year due to injury. According to Rick Hall, the team’s head coach, these new players adjusted rather quickly to meet the team’s standards.
�The girls did a really good job as a whole. There is a learning curve in college volleyball. The game is a lot faster than in high school . It usually takes a year or so for most players to adjust,� he said.
Assistant coaches Bob Hall and Sue Hahner helped the new players� transition by offering their time and assistance. Though training six new players was challenging at times, veteran teammates were also happy to work with these talented athletes.
�It took a lot of hard work and patience on the upperclassmen’s part to help all the freshmen adjust, and I think they did an amazing job,� said freshman Gretchen Meyers.
The team’s hard work paid off with an impressive record of 18 wins and 13 losses. �We definitely had the potential to do better, but we faced some good competition,� said a freshman, Tara Chizmar.
As a new NCAA team, the ladies played many challenging opponents that they had not encountered in the past .
�The most challenging team we played against was the [University of] Charleston,� said sophomore Reigh Steban. Though the team suffered a 3 to 2 loss, Steban believes such games help prepare the team for future competitions. �We will be playing in the WVIAC Conference next year, so it was interesting to see what kind of competitors we will be up against.�
The team also traveled to Florida to participate in the Clearwater Tourney, which proved to be a great learning experience as well. Chizmar said, �our very last game against Clearwater Christian was the most intense game I have ever played. Even though we were all tired from playing so hard, we a had a lot of fun during that game. We won, too, which made it even better.�
Rick Hall is very proud of his players� accomplishments. �We did very well this season. If we had been available for either the NAIA or the NCAA Division II, we would have been at the top of either conference. We would have contended for the title,� he said.
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