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The University of Maine volleyball team heads for Hanover, N.H. Friday afternoon in hopes of defeating Harvard and Dartmouth in their matches Saturday and Sunday.
“We want to win and get our record better,” junior middle blocker and captain Claire Poliquin said. “This tough schedule is only going to make us stronger.”
Head coach Sue Medley is looking to win both matches, but believes they will be facing strong opponents.
“Harvard is a big attacking team, and Dartmouth is good defensively,” Medley said. “But we can compete and win in every match we play.”
The Black Bears go into the weekend with a record of 4-9 after three straight losses at the Maine Invitational last weekend.
Freshman outside hitter Kaili Jordan said she is disappointed with the outcome of their last few games, but she is not discouraged.
“We are more confident and hungrier for a win than ever before. I don’t think that we have to change a whole lot, we just need to step up,” Jordan said.
Poliquin agreed, “Once we fix the little things we’ll be a lot more successful.”
“Last weekend was frustrating because the scores were so tight,” Medley said.
Medley thought her team had the opportunity and ability to have won last weekend’s matches.
“Four of our girls had double-digit kills,” Medley said. “We had 58 unforced errors, 28 on serves alone; we just need to be smarter in our decision making.”
Poliquin feels her team still needs to prove itself. “We are trying to earn respect. I feel that as a three-year program we are the underdog,” she said. “We want to go into this weekend with the same mindset we have in practice – lots of focus and determination.”
UMaine volleyball is constantly working on focus. Jordan said that her team has been doing yoga together to practice and improve their concentration.
“Yoga helps us with our focus and stretches us out,” Poliquin said. “It is good for us inside and out.”
The UMaine volleyball team practices for up to three hours beneath the hot lights of “The Pit” in the Field House four or five days a week. The fast-paced practices include everything from push-ups to team scrimmages.
Poliquin said her team needs more than practice to start playing at their best.
“I think we have to trust each other. You have to know that your teammate’s serve will go over the net, or that she will make a good pass, or a solid play on the ball. It is all about trust,” Poliquin said.
UMaine Volleyball has only five nonconference matches left before they will begin America East play at home against Albany Oct. 11.
Although their preseason has not gone quite as well as they had planned, the team still has its goals set for winning the conference championship.
Poliquin said her team is determined to win the conference tournament, “I think we are going to do great in conference [play],” she said.
Bangor Daily News