The Plattsburgh State volleyball team continued their season on the road this past weekend as they played four games in the Wheaton College tournament PSUC (4-5) finished the tournament 3-1 beating teams such as Emmanuel College, Salem State University and Marine Maritime University but ended up losing the final game of the tournament to Wheaton College.
Sophomore setter Sydney Gabriel said that team learned somethings about each other at the tournament.
“We learned how we play with each other,” Gabriel said.”We need to learn how to finish games altogether and we need to learn to motivate each other.”
PSUC head coach Jake Bluhm said the team is developing.
“The team is continuing to grow,” Bluhm said. “We did not start the season terrible, we just played really good teams and had a lack of experience against them.”
Bluhm also said that the team is starting to work together.
“We are really starting to get to know each other,” Bluhm said. “We’re starting to play more as a team rather than playing as a bunch of individuals.”
Senior outside hitter and right side Lexi Pascal said the team is starting to adapt.
“We are adjusting really well even though we are a young team,” Pascal said. “We have girls from different parts of the nation so we are doing really playing together.”
Bluhm mentioned the team’s cohesiveness is getting better as they play more and more games, and how they are working on their chemistry on and off the court.
“The off court chemistry is very good, it’s probably one stronger teams I have had here at Plattsburgh,” Bluhm said. ”On the court takes allot of time because we are still trying to figure out relationships in certain aspects of the game.”
Gabriel said that although the preseason is long it prepares them for the conference play.
“Last year was a shorter preseason for us and we did not work on as much conditioning as we are doing this year,” Gabriel said. “We spent a lot of time on conditioning and bonding as a team to get ready for the conference play.”
Bluhm said that the preseason is great exposure for the team.
“The team is getting more touches with the volleyball which allows to them grow and learn as a unit,” Bluhm said. “With a lot of extra matches and experiencing different situations will better prepare us for conference play.”
PSUC will be at home this weekend for the first time this season as they host the Best Western Plus-Ground Round Cardinal Classic. The Cards will take on Utica College and Southern Vermont College tomorrow.
Gabriel said that the key to winning their upcoming games will be their mentality.
“With multiple teams up here we have to play with the mindset that we will push through every game and want to win as a team.”
Pascal said the team is working on the fundamentals this week in practice.
“We are focusing on our defense not just as team but also individually,” Pascal said. “We are also trying to work on playing smarter with the ball by placing our hits logically and effectively.”
Email Adonys Temple at adonys.temple @cardinalpointsonline.com
