The Tommies women’s volleyball team finished their exhibition run this weekend at the Fredericton Open in the top four, after losing in the semi-final in the women’s division of the tournament. They exited with a 3-2-1 record against teams of varied levels and ages.
This was the first year that the Tommies participated and were the only university team to participate in the tournament. Some other featured retired U SPORTS and ACAA athletes, creating good competition and atmosphere for the Tommies to start prepping for the season.
The tournament proved to be a good environment for the team to come together in a laid back setting, allowing for all players to get experience.
First-year student-athlete Jenna Murphy from Sackville, NS, also expressed confidence and excitement for the upcoming season.
“Our team has been working really hard so I’m hoping that pays off in our regular season.”
Murphy said the transition into STU has been a great experience so far and that the jump to university-level play has been different and a lot faster.
“It took a little bit to get used to but it’s awesome and I love how competitive it is,” she said.
With four new additions to the green and gold squad including Amelia Faulkner, Brooke Thompson, Alessandra Hernandez and Jenna Murphy, the Tommies look to finish in the top of the ACAA.
Last season, the Tommies finished atop the regular season ACAA standings with a record of 14-4, giving them a first-place tie with Mount Saint Vincent University.
Third-year Megan MacDonald was impressed with how the team came together over the course of their first games.
“We all played really well together, even though we’ve only been practicing so far,” she said.
The Tommies used this opportunity to get all players on the court, work through some new positions and build their relationships with each other in the pre-season.
MacDonald stated that a lot of their challenges this past weekend came from unforced errors and dropped balls due to miscommunication. Moving forward they look to work on communication with each other in games.
“I think as time comes, our communication will come,” said MacDonald.
The Fredericton Open was the first time that the Tommies played together with their completed roster after only a couple weeks of practice, but she said the team is already showing promise
“Just from what I’ve seen so far, I think we’re going to be good,” she said. “It’s going to be a competitive year.
The upcoming ACAA regular season will kick off for the Tommies on Nov. 4 with an away game at Crandall University. The home opener for our Women’s Volleyball team will be on Nov. 5 against the Mount Saint Vincent University Mystics at the Lady Beaverbrook Gym.
