Holding high hopes for another promising season, the UCSD women’s volleyball team has begun Fall Quarter by scaling the national rankings with a 12-1 record. A third of the season already behind them, the Tritons now look forward to playing before full stands of students drawn to RIMAC Areana by Welcome Week activities and events.
UCSD was ranked 13th in the nation to start the season and used a tremendous victory over then No. 7 Minnesota Duluth on Aug. 29 to begin its ascent toward a national title.
After an embarrassing first-round defeat to Cal State Los Angeles in last season’s NCAA West Regionals, this year’s squad has shown its determination to make up for last year’s early exit. Displaying a resilience that the Tritons hope will define them this season, UCSD knocked off the very same Cal State Los Angeles team on Sept. 19 in a thrilling five-set match.
‘We had some tough losses last year,’ head coach Tom Black said. ‘And after those, the team just made a commitment to themselves. This year, they’ve all been on the same page, and our dedication has really improved our play. This is one of the best teams that I have seen here.’
The only blemish so far for the Tritons ‘mdash; who won their first 10 games of the season ‘mdash; came on Sept. 11 when they took their first loss in four sets to second-ranked Cal State San Bernardino. UCSD will get a get a chance for revenge against the San Bernardino Coyotes on Oct. 17, playing this time in front of the home fans.
‘We’re determined,’ senior outside hitter Sylvia Schmidt said. ‘We’re aiming a push for the championship. We’re excited for another year, and everyone is working hard to get there.’
UCSD, who has not made it to the NCAA National Championships since 2006, will return home for the start of Fall Quarter to host a pair of weekend matches on Sep. 25 and Sept. 26 against Chico State and Cal State Stanislaus, respectively.
Readers can contact Tyler Nelson at [email protected].