Expectations rise for VCU volleyball after 6-1 start

Quinn Casteel
Sports Editor

The VCU volleyball team is off to an impressive 6-1 start this season, having already won two early season tournaments with one still to go. The Rams won three matches at Ball State on opening weekend, then defeated the host Wolfpack in the final of the N.C. State Invitational last Sunday.

VCU will host Virginia, Appalachian St. and Georgetown this weekend in the VCU/Third Degree Sportswear Invitational as the team tries to continue its hot start to the season. Here is a look into some trending story lines for VCU volleyball, for this weekend and beyond:

Soaring confidence

VCU has more freshmen (six) on the roster than junior and seniors combined (five). However, the veterans on the roster are a talented and hungry group, and have instilled a level of confidence unheard of for most young teams.

Even the young players have bought in to the mentality, which head coach James Finley credits to carryover from last year’s heartbreaking end to the season. The Rams advanced all the way to the CAA Championship Final against the No. 1 seed Delaware, but lost the match in the deciding fifth set.

This year, leaders such as seniors Kristin Boyd, Jasmine Waters and Marisa Low have come in on a mission to bring the team to the ever-elusive NCAA Tournament, and their hunger has manifested throughout the rest of the roster.

“The girls didn’t really feel like they finished their business last year so there was some really good intensity in preseason,” coach Finley said. “The work ethic and the camaraderie accumulated into us being successful, and that mentality has carried over into the regular season.”

“I feel that every time our girls step onto the court they’re feeling more and more confident.”

Late-game dominance

VCU has an impressive 5-1 record in the always pivotal fourth set so far this season, which is a big reason why the Rams are off to such an explosive start to the year.

Four of those crucial fourth set victories have been closeout sets, which in volleyball is widely considered the most difficult to pull out. Too often, teams feel winning is inevitable when they enter a closeout set and they allow the opposition to climb back into the match.

That however, has not been an issue for the 2012 Rams.

“I think a lot of that comes down to confidence and being able to let things go,” said coach Finley on his team’s fourth set heroics. “Sometimes it takes us a while to execute our game plan, so we may not play well in the first set but we’ve been getting adjusted by continuing to work and execute.”

“Matches aren’t won in one set,” he added. “We might get blown out in one set, but we’ve done a good job in coming back and being successful.”

Croatian freshman Samadan making a dent 

An X-factor for VCU volleyball this season has been freshman Martina Samadan, a 6-foot-5 middle blocker out of Split, Croatia.

Samadan, a member of the Croatian National Team, has made a near seamless transition to the American style of play, and the Rams are reaping the benefits. She was named Atlantic-10 Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 27 for her role in the team’s dominance at the Ball State Tournament and is currently second on the team with 62 kills.

“We knew she would be a special player,” said coach Finley on Samadan. “I’m really excited about how consistent she’s been on offense, and it has been a surprise the level she’s been able to maintain.”

Playing alongside the likes of Boyd and Waters has made Samadan even better as she begins her expectedly brilliant collegiate career. Additionally, she has spent a lot more time in the weight room and in conditioning than she ever had in Croatia, as Finley and the Ram’s coaching staff work on developing her into an even better athlete.

“The potential is unlimited,” said Finley. “She’s got the skill and the volleyball IQ already to be a great player.”

Hopes for the Atlantic-10

During preseason interviews over the summer, every player on the VCU volleyball roster said her goal for the season was to win the A-10.

If the first seven games of the regular season are any indication to what may lie ahead for VCU, that goal seems like a realistic one. The Rams have one of the tallest and most talented attacks in the conference and players with plenty of postseason experience.

However, the top of the A-10 is considerably stronger than the CAA. VCU will have to face teams such as Dayton, the No. 10 team in the country, as well as two other teams (Xavier and St. Louis) who finished in the top 100 in the RPI last season.

“We’re working hard to get better every day, and as long as we continue on that path, we have the size and the athleticism to where, if we just polish ourselves and play at a high level, we’ll be competing with Dayton and the best in the conference at the end of the year,” Finley said.

Protecting the home turf

The team decided collectively before the season began that their goal was to not lose a home match all year. With some of their most difficult conference matches being played at the Siegel Center, including a clash with a top 10 team in Dayton on Nov. 4, that goal is a highly challenging but still realistic one.

Before the Rams delve into their rigorous conference schedule, they will play three home matches in two days this weekend in the VCU/Third Degree Sportswear Invitational. They will take on rival Virginia, a top 50 NCAA program on Friday, before playing Appalachian State (1 p.m.) and Georgetown (7 p.m.) on Saturday to finish out the tournament.

Coach Finley said the team is preparing intensely for the upcoming weekend as they try to keep their goal of an unblemished home record alive. The first step in achieving that goal will be to shut down the unconventional and sometimes unpredictable UVA attack.

VCU’s first priority this weekend is defense, particularly on flying around the floor and digging balls out of the ground.