FT. MYERS, Fla. - It's been a challenging start to the 2010 season for the LadyCats of Bethune-Cookman volleyball. B-CU opened the year with an 0-4 record, including an 0-2 mark Saturday, at the Homewood Suites Invitational. However, these are the trials and tribulations of fielding a young team with newcomers filling replacement roles at key positions. In Saturday's matches, Houston Baptist defeated B-CU 3-1 (25-20, W-25-21, 25-20, 25-13), while UCF swept the LadyCats, 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-15).
Head Coach Vanessa Cogswell sought to get her team back on track after inconsistent play Friday left the team with an 0-2 record to open the tournament and the season. The LadyCats returned to action on Saturday morning against Houston Baptist, who took the first set, 25-20, only barely outhitting the B-CU volleyballers (.162 Hit %). In the second, B-CU swung the momentum, creating more rallies and earning the win over the notably taller Huskies from the Lone Star State, 25-21. In the third, HBU fought back and despite outhitting B-CU, only claimed a 25-20 win. In the final set, B-CU couldn't produce enough offense, and HBU finished off the 3-1 win with a 25-13 victory in the set.
"We did so well in the second set, maintaining control the entire set," said Cogswell, "but for some reason we lost that edge and it went downhill from there. In the fourth set, the team lost their composure and again could not recover."
Against HBU, the team hitting was consistent across the sets, leading to a close match, and B-CU finished as a team at .146. Middle blocker Jessica Wilson chipped in eight kills, along with her three blocks and 15 digs. Jacqueline Woodyear turning in 19 digs, while Jennifer Jimenez tallied 12.
The LadyCats returned in the afternoon matchup to face UCF. Though the LadyCats started on a tough note, falling 25-14 with a negative hit percentage, they bounced back against the height-advantaged hitters from Conference USA, cutting the second set close in a 25-22 loss, notching their second highest team hitting percentage of the tournament, .235. In the final set, UCF simply wore B-CU down with their athleticism, winning 25-15 for the 3-0 win in the match.
"We had a slow start against UCF, with a lot of unforced errors," said coach Cogswell. "'Our second set was a bittersweet moment at the end, as we had a lead most of the set and held their hitting to .167, but lost due to our inability to finish strong in the set. The third set slipped through our hands quickly as we struggled to block and defend the floor."
Despite the unfavorable outcome, the news wasn't all bad, as the LadyCats showed great determination against the stronger opponent, earning respect from the opposing coach, and ending the tournament on a higher note.
"We were able to win this match based on physicality," UCF Head Coach Todd Dagenais said after the match. "but, there were several stretches where we had a hard time matching their intensity. Before the match, I told the team that Bethune-Cookman has a way of making you feel really bad about yourself because of the savvy in which they play with, and that is exactly what happened today. They went out there and did so many things that we didn't have an answer for, fortunately we were able to go back and side out on the next play and neutralize the previous points."
Against UCF, the LadyCats got offensive production out of several players, helping to spread the attack around, but Jessica Wilson turned in five kills. Alexis Bliese recorded 15 assists, but split time with Frances Rodriguez, who tallied eight. Freshman Jennifer Jimenez stepped into the libero spot against the knights and led the team with ten digs.
"I thought Bethune-Cookman gave us a lesson today about what can be accomplished with heart and desire," Dagenais noted. "Vanessa has her team likely playing at the highest level it has ever played and they do it on grit and intensity. I think that every college volleyball team could stand to take a page out of their book."
The LadyCats aren't resting much before returning to action. The B-CU home opener is Tuesday, Aug. 31, as Savannah State travels to Richard V. Moore Gymnasium. The first serve takes off at 6:30 p.m.
"I would say that all weekend our passing was below par and definitely contributed to our inability to spread the offense, which really hurt us. We have some things we have to work on, beginning at Monday's practice, but we have a great foundation and these experiences are building blocks to help us become the strong team I know we can be," Cogswell concluded.
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