You wouldn’t know the Virginia volleyball team was on a seven-game losing streak if you attended their practice Thursday morning. The team looked loose and calm in their end-of-practice scrimmage, keeping their poise as coach Dennis Hohenshelt critiqued their play from the sidelines.
“We’re going to stay here until you get this right,” Hohenshelt said between serves.
His words reflect the mentality of the Cavaliers (3-9), who begin ACC play Friday against Wake Forest. The team showed its flaws in its final two non-conference tournaments, but each player knows that continued practice will help minimize mistakes in their games.
“Even though we’ve had a really tough schedule, we’ve been able to come back to the gym, work even harder and do whatever we [need] to get to that next level,” freshman setter Jennifer Wineholt said.
This sense of resilience is key for the Cavaliers. The players seem poised to put their losing ways behind them and embark on a “second season,” as Hohenshelt called it, with the start of ACC play. On top of a clean slate easing the team’s mind, starting the season at home is a major relief.
“Three weeks on the road is no fun for anyone,” Hohenshelt said. “We’re happy to be here and sleep in our own beds after a long three weeks.”
Wineholt also expressed how much it means to finally be back at Memorial Gym.
“Traveling was great for bonding with the team, but this place is extremely special to all of us, and whenever we have a chance to represent Virginia in this place, it’s extra special,” Wineholt said.
A home crowd might be just what the Cavaliers needed to close out games. Both Hohenshelt and Wineholt noted that the team has been getting off to great starts in their sets, but tend to lose control after the first 17 points.
“We’ve been in a lot of close sets up to around 17-17, but we’re trying to get to the finishing point right now,” Hohenshelt said. We’re getting that point but then giving up a bunch of points. It’s part of the growing pains, so we have to figure out how to stop that.”
Even through the growing pains of being a young team, the underclassman players have stayed committed to improving their games, a testament to the great leadership by the coaches and senior players.
“The upperclassmen and coaches are always helping us out and making us feel comfortable on the court,” Wineholt, who is just starting her collegiate career, said. “Even though I’m an 18-year-old and there are 22-year-olds out there on the court with me, the environment here is welcoming, which makes it easier to not be nervous.”
Hohenshelt credited Wineholt and freshman middle blocker Chino Anukwuem especially as being committed freshmen.
“We’re throwing a lot at Jen right now, and she’s handled it pretty well,” Hohenshelt said. “She wants to be great, and you can’t say that about a lot of people. Chino has made a huge jump in her game. She’s very athletic, and she’s starting to feel really comfortable on the court.”
The younger Cavaliers are starting to get acclimated at just the right time for the team with ACC play about to start. The team seems very excited to get started with the rivalries and high stakes that conference play brings.
“[ACC play] is fun — this is where we have rivalries and common opponents that we play every year,” Hohenshelt said. “These are the people we’re recruiting against, so it’s important to create an identity for ourselves within the ACC.”
Hohenshelt said he’s satisfied with his team’s progress in practice and has stayed steadfast to a winning expectation for the team going forward.
“I told [the team] that as long as we keep getting better at practice Monday through Thursday, there will be wins for us in the ACC on Friday and Saturday,” Hohenshelt said.
Virginia will open their ACC slate with home games against the Demon Deacons (4-8) and Duke Friday and Saturday night, respectively, on the Cavaliers’ home court. The Blue Devils (7-4) took down Wake Forest 3-1 Wednesday for both team’s first ACC matches.
Virginia volleyball will look to start off its “second season” in the same fashion it started its first: fast and poised in front of a lively home crowd. The team’s first serve against the Demon Deacons is set for Friday at 7 p.m.
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