After winning their first game at the Dunn Hospitality Invitation this weekend, the Chargers volleyball team sunk into a three-game slump.
At the Invitational, the Chargers faced Division II, non-conference teams at the University of Southern Indiana.
The Chargers came out strong on Friday against the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets, beating them 3-2, but lost their second match of the day to the host team, University of Southern Indiana, 3-0.
On Saturday, the Chargers were bested by Missouri-St. Louis 3-0, and then the University of West Florida, 3-1.
Head coach Chris Gravel said the team played two games well, despite losing three of the four. He attributed the less stellar games to kinks in the team’s mental game.
“We played almost a little bit nervous, which we shouldn’t be doing anymore now that we’re an older team,” Gravel said of the mostly junior team.
Senior right-side hitter Meagan McPhetridge mentioned team synergy and serve-receive as things to improve for the first regular season games this weekend.
“We had a pretty solid serve-receive going into the weekend, but the more we played, our communication started to lack a little bit,” McPhetridge said.
She explained that when the serve-receive is poor, the players can’t execute a “fast middle” — a quick, precise set and spike — something the team normally does well. Overall, however, she said she views the weekend as a learning experience, and a good one in particular for the team’s freshmen: setter and defensive specialist Brittany Jandasek, and left-side hitter Jessie Kopmeyer.
Kopmeyer came out of her first day of collegiate play with 11 digs and 27 kills.
Jandasek admitted to nervousness but said she was able to forget it quickly.
“When I first went in, I was definitely nervous, but after the first couple of plays, you relax and you just get into a groove as you start to play,” Jandasek said.
At Tuesday night’s practice Gravel anticipated that the nerves will wear off.
“I think it’s something we’re going to grow out of pretty quick, but this weekend will tell,” he said.
Jandasek expressed an eagerness for the next competition — an emotion that was practically palpable at Tuesday’s practice, as women’s voices peppered the air calling the ball and directing their teammates.
The Chargers begin their regular season by facing Lake Erie College on Friday at 7 p.m. and Ashland University on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena.
