Injuries, Losses Plague Sagehen Volleyball
By Drew Perraut
Sports Writer

The P-P volleyball team suffered two more defeats this week in its increasingly desperate season. The Hens have faced strong opposition this year, a problem exacerbated by a large proportion of younger players and a number of serious injuries that have prevented experienced team members from playing to their utmost. The result has been what Alexandra Wakeman ’06 describes as a “very frustrating season” and a disappointing record of 6-18, and 2-11 in post-season SCIAC matches.

The Lady Hens played their first match of the week on Friday night against Occidental College. Occidental gained an early lead and won the first game 24-30, a beginning that brought back memories from many of P-P’s earlier, unsuccessful matches. However, in the second game, P-P managed to pull ahead after a series of excellent plays and won a decisive victory, 30-21. Unfortunately, the Sagehen revival did not last, and P-P lost the next two games 26-30 and 25-30, costing them the match. Though the team missed the win, this game was a definite improvement over their last encounter with Occidental, which the Hens lost with a game score of 0-3.

The bright point of the afternoon came in the final game. Occidental opened very strongly and gained a commanding lead, but the Hens fought back and significantly closed the gap, though they still fell short. As in several of the year’s earlier games, consistency seemed to be P-P’s main enemy.

P-P also played at Redlands on Tuesday. They were defeated with game scores of 30-28, 30-28 and 30-28. Wakeman says that a match like that one is “tough, because we know that we’re a really good team. In some games we just don’t seem to be able to finish it off.”

Coach Valerie Cowan is disappointed that the team’s record has not been better this year, but she says that “all the girls have worked very hard, and I know they want to win... Unfortunately, we just haven’t been able to push through, but we’re still fighting.” Cowan believes that injuries have been the most serious obstacle to success for the team, and it is certainly true that the Hens have seen more than their fair share of mishaps. At one point, seven different players were unable to play for various reasons. During the Redlands match, for example, Jeannie Kenmotsu ’05, one of the team’s key setters, was unable to play due to a broken thumb. Susan Caplow ’03 filled in, though she had not trained to play that position this season. Despite being asked to change positions at the last moment, Cowan notes that Caplow “did a great job and played very well.” She continues, explaining that “we have had to battle through all of our injuries but we’ve been slowly coming back to full strength.”

For their final match of the year, the Hens will play Cal Lutheran at home on Thursday at 7:30 pm. Following the game, Coach Cowan and the players will honor departing seniors Colleen Chrisco, Alison Rindlaub, Elizabeth Shatzer and Susan Caplow, in a brief ceremony that Cowan said is designed to be a commemoration of “their contribution and all their hard work.” The team is excited about the game, and Wakeman seemed to speak for the entire team when she stated her goals for Thursday night: “During the last game, we just want to play the way that we all know we can. If we can do that against Cal Lutheran, we’ll win.”