As one of the top team in the West Coast Conference, the Loyola Marymount women's volleyball has a lot to learn this season and also a lot to look forward to. Head Coach Tom Black spoke with us about what he sees so far in the preseason. Let's get right to it…
HERO: Which players will log significant minutes for your team this year?
Black: Sarah Sponcil and Jamie Lea will log significant minutes in the outside hitter spot. Kristen Castellanos returns as our starting libero. Middle, Opposite and Setter are all up for grabs as we have an exciting mixture of veterans and newcomers competing for these spots.
HERO: What will be the biggest difference between this year's team and last year's team?
Black: That’s part of the learning process. Every team is different and learning where we’re strong and where we need to improve is part of the deal.
HERO: Which newcomers do you think will make the biggest impact for your team this season?
Black:: We’ll have to see. We have two freshmen at the setter position we really like in Tess Reed and Jessie Prichard. Sascha Dominque comes off her redshirt season and we believe will make a big impact in the middle. We’re excited for freshmen Savannah Slattery, who could see time both on the outside as well as opposite.
HERO: Which players were named captains this year?
Black: Sascha Dominique, Sarah Sponcil and Kristen Castellanos are our captains.
Q: Is there anything else you want fans to know about your team?
Black: We’re excited to see how good we can be. Like I said above, we have an interesting mixture of newcomers and veterans and a really challenging pre-season that should be fun and help us learn a lot. Our conference is among the best in the nation, and that battle always helps to prepare us should we put ourselves in a spot to get back to the NCAA. These ladies’ compete all year long on the indoor and beach surfaces, and we’re looking forward to seeing the benefits of that in our level of play.
BR-15 LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL SNAPSHOT
2015 Overall: 24-9, Round 3
2016 Opener: LMU Invitational vs. Illinois State — Aug. 26
(Photos Courtesy of LMU Athletics)
