Last year was a hectic and troublesome year for everyone at Saint Augustine’s University due to the disruption of COVID-19 both inside and outside the classroom. But campus life is finally getting back to normal, and no one is more grateful than athletes.
This year’s women volleyball team has big goals and aspirations of making noise in the CIAA. The Lady Falcons have 18 CIAA titles, which is the most by any team in the conference. Their new head volleyball coach Tacara Moxey has hopes to bring another CIAA championship this year.
The Lady Falcons started the season slowly, losing their first five games, but fortunately none of the losses were conference games. Since their first conference game on Sept. 21, the team has compiled a 6-3 record. Although their overall record is 6-8 their conference record stands at 4-3.
The hardest loss for the team to take may have been the Sept. 7 loss to archrival Shaw University. But that might also have been the game that started their turnaround.
“After the tough loss we sat down after the game, and I told my teammates we have to get better,” said sophomore captain Sydney Moore. “We have to get better with our communication, our urgency, and our heart on the court. I know we are capable of doing all of that.”
Although the Lady Falcons did not do well in the West Virginia State Invitational, taking losses to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and West Virginia State University on Sept. 17, they bounced back Sept. 21 with a win over Johnson C. Smith University during Homecoming week. That started a 6-2 tear, including two three-game winning streaks.
The Lady Falcons looked like a new team during the Johnson C. Smith game, with high energy and positivity. They won the match 3-0.
“We were in control the whole game.,” said freshman Madison Jones. “We all played really well together and fed off of each other’s energy. Individually I think I played well for my first conference game. We stayed confident throughout the match and I was able to help the offense.”
In an away game on Oct. 11 the Lady Falcons battled Claflin University before a vocal hometown crowd and still made a good showing, scoring a significant number of points each set. But Claflin edged out the Lady Falcons in each set, winning 3-0.
Jones believes the team could finish out the season on a positive note.
“We just have to continue to have a sense of urgency and have the mindset as a team that nobody can beat us,” she said.
–– Kyshon Tate
