Steven Falls
Sports Editor
The University of La Verne women’s volleyball competed in the Wild West Shootout last weekend in Hayward, California.
The Leopards compiled a 3-1 record against some of the nations elite teams including Gettysburg College, Ithaca College, Central College, and Cal State Hayward.
The ULV women hopped on a bus filled with expectations and high hopes and headed towards Cal State Hayward, which was hosting one of the top volleyball tournaments in the country.
Entering the tournament, ULV has an impressive 16-2 record on the year, while sweeping each of their last 10 opponents.
The Leopards had not lost a game since Sept. 17 when they were defeated, 3-0, by Mt. St. Joseph’s at the Mt. St. Joseph’s Invitational in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The first match of the tournament proved to be no contest as they swept Gettysburg College of Pennsylvania, 3-0.
The second match of the day against regional rival and host Hayward, (ranked No. 4 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll) was highly anticipated.
In the match up of the top ranked teams, Cal State Hayward came out on top, defeating ULV, 3-1 (30-24, 17-30, 24-30, 25-30).
“They’re really good,” La Verne head coach Don Flora said.
“It was a great match, we got off to a good start and had a chance in the fourth game,” he added.
In the match, the Pioneers held ULV to a season-low .098 hitting percentage.
ULV also tallied 8.5 blocks to go with 59 kills for the game.
“We didn’t establish our level of play,” senior outside hitter Amy Kratochvil said. “We were ready, but they surprised us.”
Kratochvil compiled 13 kills and 12 digs while teammates Tricia Schary and Mandy Sedia each recorded nine kills a piece in the loss for the Leopards.
“Hayward was on fire, but we played well also,” sophomore libero Lauren Friestad said.
Friestad recorded a team high 14 digs in the loss.
Attempting to put the disappointing loss to Hayward in the rear view mirror, the Leopards came out strong on day two, sweeping Central College of Iowa, 3-0 (30-24, 30-27, 30-14).
Kratochvil and senior outside hitter Jennifer Stout tallied 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
Stout also finished the game with 14 digs to go along with Friestad’s 12.
Senior setter Amanda Thomas also recorded 31 set assists in the win for the Leopards.
The team hit an uncharacteristically low .203 for the game, but held Central to its personal season low hitting percentage of .130.
The Leopards finished off the tournament with an easy sweep of Ithaca College of New York, 3-0 (30-23, 30-18, 30-19).
Kratochvil led the team once again, tallying 14 kills to go along with four digs.
Friestad finished with a team high six digs while Thomas rounded up the action with 35 set assists.
La Verne finished the game with a hitting percentage of .465 and eight team blocks.
The win over Ithaca improved the Leopards to 3-1 in the tournament and 19-3 overall.
Despite the disappointing loss to Hayward, the Leopards ended the tournament with an impressive record against some of the top ranked teams in the country.
“We proved ourselves in a lot of areas,” Kratochvil said.
Hopefully the team was peering in the rear view mirror as it rode out of Hayward, because the team will need to get used to seeing more of the Pioneers if they expect to get through the regional tournament come mid-November.
“We’re looking forward to playing them again,” Kratochvil said.
ULV (19-3 overall, 7-0 conference) resumes action at 3 p.m. today in the La Verne Invitational Tournament against UC Santa Cruz at the Club West Volleyball Complex (court 1) in La Verne.
The Leopards will continue SCIAC play at 6 p.m. against rival Occidental on the same court.
La Verne will square off against Vassar College (New York) at noon tomorrow on court 2.
In the second part of the day’s double-header, they will face Illinois Wesleyan at 6 p.m. on court 1.
ULV will continue SCIAC action Tuesday against Whittier.
Steven Falls can be reached at sfalls21@msn.com.
