UMPI’s Volleyball team has just begun to enter their off-season this semester. This means time to begin preparing for the 2022 fall season! Some of that preparation begins with looking back on this past season to see where there was success. They also look at where work needs to be done and what challenges they faced. For sophomore Alondra Lopez, that meant overcoming a sprained ankle for the third time. Even with that, Lopez said she had a lot of fun. “I loved being able to still be there and still support my team. Even when we’re injured, we might feel like we can’t do much, but I got to hype up my girls.” For Lopez, being a supportive teammate from the sideline is just as important as being on the court making plays, which is an underrated quality of a great teammate.
For the off-season, the team gets together to scrimmage in Gentile and work on specific drills. They also work on keeping their team chemistry strong. Sophomore Bailey LaPlante mentioned that she loves the scrimmages. “I feel like we all put in 100 percent,” she said. “We all work super hard…. Working with each other to fix what we can.” They also have been focused on working as a unit together and have been seeing the growth that they all have been making together. Senior Miranda Cashmere said, “It was so awesome to see girls just step up as players, confidently…. I’m super proud to see that.”
The team is really excited for the upcoming season next fall. “I feel really confident,” LaPlante said. “With the group of girls we have now and how hard we’re all working, we can have a good season next year.” Lopez’ thoughts on the upcoming season were, “It’s been going awesome. Everyone is reaching more and more and trying to push themselves more. It’s great to see. I feel like everyone improves every time we step on the court.”
The volleyball team is coming off a 4-17 season this year. They are looking to improve on working as a unit and their own individual skill sets to be ready for the upcoming fall. As the team prepares for the upcoming season, be on the lookout next fall as the UMPI volleyball team looks to be better than ever before. And if you see them preparing along the way, wish them good luck!
