Photo by John Schreiber, The Daily Campus; Junior Caitlin Rainbird spikes the ball in Tuesday’s loss to the University of Tulsa at Moody Coliseum.
The SMU women’s volleyball team hopes that the IU Credit Union Invitational at Indiana University this weekend will provide opportunities for redemption. The Mustangs fell to conference rival Tulsa on Tuesday in a disappointing three-game loss.
“We broke down on passing and ball handling,” said Head Coach Lisa Seifert. “We were making young errors and mental errors.”
After stellar performances at home during the SMU Radisson Hotel Invitational and the Radisson Hotel Mustang Classic, the team was frustrated with its performance in its first C-USA match of 2006. However, coach Seifert still has faith in her team’s ability to bounce back.
“Everyone showed up to practice on Wednesday in good spirits. We watched some film and talked about what we need to fix. I’m looking forward to the execution of those corrections this weekend,” she said.
Despite the loss against Tulsa and two losses during a tournament at Loyola Marymount University, the Mustangs have posted impressive numbers so far this season. Junior Rachel Giubilato has notched 177 kills, 140 digs and 17 blocks while junior Caitlin Rainbird isn’t far behind with 143 kills and 153 digs. Sophomore Natalie Peters and freshman Kendra Kahanek have made major contributions to the Mustang defense, posting 37 and 34 blocks, respectively. Peters’ efforts aren’t limited to her blocking capability; she has also nailed 142 kills this season. Freshman Candice Davis is proving to be a valuable defender as well with 136 digs this season. With numbers like these, coach Seifert’s goal of 18 digs and two blocks per game during the Indiana tournament doesn’t seem too difficult.
The Mustangs will have to be successful without senior Jennette Evanco. The team captain, out with an injury, did not play in the LMU tournament or against Tulsa. She is not expected to return to the floor for another four weeks.
In Indiana, SMU faces Indiana University, Chattanooga and Mercer. The Mustangs, who are 7-4 on the season, open the tournament up against Mercer tonight at 7 p.m. Led by junior Julie Darty, the Bears are 5-6 in the season. Darty has 129 kills and leads in blocking with 34. Senior Liz Kane leads the Bears with 193 kills so far this season.
The Mustangs face both Chattanooga and Indiana in a double-header on Saturday. Chattanooga is 1-6 in the season and is led by junior Kelsey Amudson, who has 69 kills and 103 digs. The Indiana Hoosiers are 6-3 for the season; they have the best record going into the tournament. The Mustangs did not face any of their tournament opponents in 2005.
After Indiana, SMU heads to the University of Central Florida Sept. 22 to face the Golden Knights.
