By Breezh Nunez, Oct. 14, 2021
The CPP volleyball team went head-to-head against San Francisco State in its seventh CCAA conference match of the season, resulting in a home victory of 3-1 and an overall season record of 13-1.
The Broncos took a 13-point lead in the first set, earning a total score of 25-12. During the second set, SFSU sprung back, earning a set score of 27-29 and a competitive edge over the Broncos. However, the Broncos quickly recovered by closing the gap in the last two sets, solidifying a winning score of 3-1.
For Coach Traci Dahl, the Broncos achieved the CCAA win by sticking to their game plans, playing aggressively and maintaining confidence in themselves throughout the season.
“We did a nice job scouting San Francisco State. They’re a great team and they play good volleyball. Our passers did a nice job of passing their serve; they have a very specific serve that they provide, and we worked on it all week,” said Dahl. “I felt our blocking was very good tonight, we had a nice presence at the net and with our offense we were moving people around, playing different positions and still succeeding. We grew tonight as a team.”
Similarly, Assistant Coach Zoe Herrera believed the Broncos applied their training beautifully during their performance against SFSU.
“Our practices were revolved around what San Francisco was going to do, so I thought they did a really nice job staying stable in that. Defensively, we dug a lot of crucial balls and overall, we were stable,” said Herrera.
Throughout the season the team has worked to improve its internal communication and chemistry both on and off the court, according to Dahl. During matches, benched players are seen on the sidelines screaming with enthusiasm for their teammates on court.
“I felt like there was a little bit of a dip last weekend and tonight we had it back. You could see it on the court; they’re fighting for each other. It’s a fun group to watch,” said Dahl.
Moreover, both CPP and SFSU entered the recent match with an overall score of 12-1, meaning both teams rank similarly in skill and status this season.
“We both had the same record going into the match so we knew the importance of this match, but we don’t ever say, ‘This match is more important than the next.’ We just need to play Cal Poly volleyball, and what that means is that we’ve got to have our offense involved and we’ve got to be able to pass and we did that tonight,” Dahl added.
Middle blocker Kaitlan Tucker, a member of the team for three seasons, earned an overall 15 points and 11 kills during the match. She believes that communication between players is a crucial aspect of the team’s dynamics on the court.
“The feeling is just indescribable. All those hours that we spend in the weight room, in the gym, watching film, or in the training room, it just pays off when we win,” said Tucker. “When we’re on the court together and we score it’s amazing to see it all come together.”
Although every opponent varies in style and poses a different threat, the team is working to refine reaction time and adaptation to the other team’s actions, according to Tucker.
“Authentically, we were able to spread the ball out, which is something we’ve been wanting to do, so I thought that was a good look for us. We were able to utilize all our hitters and our blocking was phenomenal tonight, as well as our defense. Authentically, we had a great night,” said Tucker.
On Oct. 9, the Broncos went up against CSU Monterey Bay, adding another win to their record with a final score of 3-0.
Further information on the team’s schedule for the season can be found on the CPP Athletics Department website.
Featured image courtesy of Mike Farrell.
