Rogers, Rams to use last season as motivation

Ben Malakoff, Contributing Writer

The Rams’ last season came to an end at the Siegel Center at the hands of Dayton in the final set of the Atlantic 10 Championship, leaving a sour taste in their mouths.

“Every time we step on the court we just think about that moment and how much it stung and hurt to see another team take something away that we really worked for but of course fell short of,” senior middle blocker Jasmin Sneed said.

Coach Jody Rogers echoed Sneed’s disappointment. 

“It was on our floor, and we lost in five [sets],” Rogers said. 

The Rams have won at least 19 games each season since 2016. Within that stretch, the black and gold have been A-10 semifinalists, A-10 champions and made an NCAA tournament appearance in 2017. 

“To be honest, it’s the culture,” Rogers said. “And this is the kind of players we get. The type of student athletes that work hard not only on the court but in the classroom and we just keep on trying to get that at a high level.”

Now going into her seventh season with the Rams, Rogers looks to repeat 2017’s success when the team won the A-10 title. The Massachusetts native is in her 23rd year of coaching in the NCAA and has surpassed 500 career wins. 

Before coming to Richmond, Rogers was head coach at the University of Indianapolis for 16 seasons. In 2012, Rogers led the Greyhounds to the Division II Final Four.

The Rams have nine seniors heading into this season, including two redshirt-seniors. With the large group leaving the program after this season, Rogers wants her team to be more leadership driven so all players can continue to develop on and off the court.

“There’s going to be a lot of girls that can talk and lead through experience but we also need girls who are also the freshmen and sophomores to have leadership skills too to learn what they can do and what they can’t do,” Rogers said.

Rogers said the leadership qualities learned on the team will carry into the players’ lives after volleyball.  

One of the Rams’ veterans is Sneed, who was named to the A-10 conference first team, ranked fourth nationally in blocks last season and one of the team’s outspoken leaders.

“Her motor is unbelievable,” Rogers said. “She works daily on her craft and she’s such a mentally tough kid, and that’s why she’s persevered and gotten better each year.”

The San Antonio, Texas, native was named A-10 defensive player of the week four times last season and moved up to second on the Rams’ all-time block list with 505.

“She’s one of those kids that’s results orientated. She sees results in something, she goes all 100% off the wall,” Rogers said.

Now with a new season, Sneed has set a list of goals for herself and her team.

“My main focus is beating myself from last year,” Sneed said. “Just being the best player I can possibly be while I’m here. And also with my team, our goal is, of course, is to win the A-10 championship and then go further than the first round of the NCAA.”

Sneed also believes the newcomers on the roster will make a big difference during the season.

“I think who will make the most impact is Jaelyn Jackson,” Sneed said. “She’s very explosive. She has a powerful arm swing. She’s such a good teammate.”

Jackson, a redshirt-senior middle blocker who transferred from Baylor, grew up in South Chesterfield, near Richmond. She recorded 130 kills and 115 blocks during her career in Waco, Texas. 

But even if most of the players are the same from last year’s roster, the team has a different mentality now.

“Our culture is changing,” Sneed said. “We make sure we are holding each other accountable.”

The Rams have a tough non-conference schedule this season, playing multiple Power Five schools including Ohio State, Virginia Tech and UNC Chapel Hill.

Both Rogers and Sneed agree that it will be the little details the Rams focus on that help them succeed during this season.

“We push each other to the next level,” Sneed said. “All the new people and all the existing players, we make sure that we are elevating each other every practice, every sprint, every rep and I really enjoy that about my team.”

The Rams were selected to finish second in the A-10 this season in the preseason poll, receiving two first-place votes.

The Rams open the season on the road Aug. 30-31 in the Sports Imports Classic against Texas Tech, Lehigh and Ohio State.