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The University of Maine volleyball team looks to end a lengthy losing skid as it travels to Connecticut for a pair of matches this weekend.
“We need to get a couple of wins under our belts,” freshman outside hitter Kaili Jordan said, “It’s time to stop our little losing streak.”
UMaine faces Sacred Heart University Saturday at 7 p.m., and will then play Fairleigh Dickinson University at noon on Sunday. Sacred Heart has yet to win a match, and Fairleigh Dickinson has won only two, but the Black Bears aren’t focused on the other teams’ records.
“Right now it’s all about our side of the net,” head coach Sue Medley said
Senior defensive specialist Amber Sammons agreed, saying, “I don’t know anything about either one of the teams we’ll be playing.”
“We went into the last weekend thinking we were going to win. This weekend we’re going in with a different mentality,” Sophomore captain and setter Carmen Gabriel said. “We want to have fun and play hard. As long as we play up to our potential, the wins will come.”
With a record of 4-11, winning is one thing the Black Bears haven’t been doing a lot of this season.
“We’re doing a lot of things the right way, we are a good team,” said Medley, who added that it is only a matter of time before her team starts winning.
Gabriel believes that the time is now.
“Dartmouth was a turning point for us because we came out with a lot of drive,” said Gabriel, who registered 72 assists, 29 digs,and 16 kills on the weekend.
Sammons had a career-high 20 digs in the Dartmouth match and said she finally realized how well her team could play.
“It’s hard to see it over the frustration of not winning, but there were moments when I got a glimpse of the potential we have,” the California native said. “It all comes down to heart.”
UMaine dropped to Dartmouth 1-3 after four tight games last Sunday. In their final game against Dartmouth, UMaine went into extra points, but finally was defeated by the Big Green 35-33.
Sophomore outside hitter Lori Maloney helped her team by adding seven kills on 16 attacks. Maloney, out of Dundas, Ontario, ended with a team-high hitting percentage of .375. Junior middle blocker Claire Poliquin chipped in with eight kills and five block assists.
“We played with a lot of emotion,” said Jordan, who was named to the Dartmouth Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Jordan had 25 kills and 29 digs over the weekend, but said she is striving to improve her game.
“Every weekend I play better than the one before. I want to continue raising the level of my game, and keep on progressing,” she said.
Gabriel also was selected to the All-Tournament Team for the first time this season.
“Now that I’ve switched into the setting role, it is harder to get all-tournament,” Gabriel said as she explained that the honor is usually given to players with a large amount of kills.
UMaine volleyball has only three matches left before they start America East Conference play. After returning from Connecticut, they will leave Wednesday, Oct. 9 for Boston College, before returning home for their America East opener against University of Albany Friday, Oct. 11.
