Lexy Gross || Staff writer
Murray State volleyball Head Coach David Schwepker said he will accept nothing less than an Ohio Valley Conference championship and a winning record for the Racer volleyball team this year.
After a painful 8-23 season in 2011, the team is committed to making some changes.
“We all know we had a down year in 2011; it’s not a secret,” Schwepker said. “It will not happen again.”
In order to change perspectives and move on from last year, Schwepker added seven players to the team. The additions include women with both academic and regional honors, including several all-area, district, region or conference selections.
Schwepker is not the only one excited about the new players.
“I think it’s great that we have so many new girls,” senior team captain Lydia Orf said. “It’s a whole new mindset, we can start with a clean slate.”
Schwepker knows team bonding is necessary to put the team back in contention.
Orf said last year’s team was several individuals working independently. This year every woman is an advantage to the team, whether they are on the court or not.
Schwepker praised the new additions, saying they are wellrounded and don’t have to be taught technical aspects of the game. The first several practices have gone well, and he said the system they want to run this year is finally coming together.
With the IPFW Invitational in Fort Wayne, Ind. coming up, the team is anxious to see it all come together. Schwepker said while the tournament is important, he will get a better indication of the team’s development as the season progresses.
“We’re not running the system as we should,” Schwepker said. “If we were perfect now, I would be nervous.”
The volleyball team is hoping for a winning season with nine matches at home and three tournaments. The Racers play their rival, Morehead State, Sept. 29 and Belmont, new to the OVC, in late October.
Morehead University, had a 26-8 record in the 2011 regular season and beat Murray State 3-0.
The final game of the regular season is Senior Day, Nov. 10, against Eastern Kentucky. Last season Murray State beat Eastern Kentucky 3-0.