Sagehen Volleyball Reigns Over CMS, CalTech, & Oxy
By Ezekiel Pfeifer
Sports Associate

The Pomona-Pitzer women’s volleyball team competed impressively last week, winning all three games they played. The Sagehens started the week’s games with a win over SCIAC rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Tuesday, moved on to beat Caltech on Friday, and finished the undefeated run by beating another regional competitor, Occidental, on Saturday.

The long week of matches boosted P-P’s record to 9-7, placing them in second place in SCIAC. However, playing three tough opponents was draining for the team.

“It was a really tough week for us mentally,” said head coach Valerie Cowan. “I think physically, we are in good enough shape to withstand the five game battles; it's just that those five gamers can be mentally draining.”

Even given the mental drain on the team, Cowan feels that last week’s stretch was a positive step for the Sagehens. “I was very proud of the way we were able to maintain our focus throughout those matches. I think our ability to fight like that makes us even stronger. Even though we won all of our matches last week, I really don't feel like we played up to our potential, and I think you'll find the team saying the same thing.”

The 5-College rivalry between CMS and P-P lived up to its potential on Tuesday night, with the match extending to the maximum five games and taking over two hours to determine the winner. The games see-sawed the entire way, making for an intense roller-coaster ride for the players’ morale on both sides of the net. The Sagehens took the first game, 30-22, but lost the second, 20-30. This pattern recurred in the next set of games, with P-P winning game three 30-28, while CMS took game four. The decisive fifth game, played only to fifteen, was taken by the Hens, rendering them victorious. Middle hitter Jessica Rybka ’05 stood out Tuesday with fifteen kills, three service aces, and five digs.

Friday’s match against Caltech was a lower key affair, with the visiting Sagehens winning in three straight games, 30-20, 30-18, and 30-9. This match served as a break for the volleyball squad, having played an intense five-game match just three days previously. In addition, P-P had to prepare to compete against a tough Occidental team on Saturday, a match that would go the distance as well.

The match against Occidental went much the same way as that against CMS, the teams trading games until the fifth and final game. Oxy won the first and third games; P-P won the second and fourth. The Sagehens proved to be too much for the visiting Tigers though, beating them 15-9 to finish the match and the week.

With three strong wins in a week, it was difficult for coach Cowan to judge the relative importance of the matches. She did, however, feel that the win over CMS was the most gratifying. “The win over CMS was probably the most satisfying; however, the win over Oxy comes a close second. We were losing matches last year by the skin of our teeth, and this year we are pushing and making things happen that will turn out in our favor. The entire week was a great one for us.”

In addition to the great play of Jessica Rybka ’05, outside hitter Katherine Hopkins ’06 stood out with 39 kills and 30 digs, as did setter Laura Laakso ’07, who had an incredible 123 assists over the three matches.

The Sagehens moved to 9-7 overall and 4-1 in the SCIAC conference with their three wins last week. These records put them second only to regional powerhouse La Verne, who P-P lost to earlier in the year in a hard-fought battle. The Sagehens play La Verne and most of the rest of the teams in the SCIAC again this year, giving P-P a second chance to prove themselves against highly nationally ranked La Verne.

This past week’s wins have built up team morale, setting up the Sagehens well for a solid stretch run.

“I think last week's run did some really good things for us,” concluded coach Cowan. “Of course, our confidence has to be much improved because of our ability to battle. It also reinforces the fact that if we continue to work hard and stay disciplined, good things will happen.”

Good things have already happened for the Hens, who have exceeded their win total of last year by two already and who have had multiple three game winning streaks. The volleyball team hopes to continue their current unbeaten run at home on Tuesday against SCIAC opponent Cal Lutheran.