2013 was the model of inconsistency for the Shepherd University volleyball squad. While back-to-back wins were not uncommon, back-to-back losses were just as normal. That is what makes the team’s trip to the Mountain East Conference Volleyball Tournament impressive. The team did not allow the up-and-down regular season permeate into the post-season.
Considering the team ended the year on a four-game losing streak, the way they conducted themselves in the tournament was admirable. Their first opponent was UVA-Wise, who they easily dispatched three sets to none.They won decisively, 25–9, 25–16 and 25–15. Taylor Belella notched 37 assists while Kayla Walker and Anna Roper added eight kills each. Melani Lewis also accounted for seven kills as well as 12 digs.
The next opponent for the Rams was West Virginia Wesleyan, a team that easily dispatched Shepherd earlier in the year. However, this time the Rams would emerge victorious, winning three sets to one by a score of 22–25, 25–21, 25–19 and 25–18. Lewis once again had a great match, recording 14 kills and six digs while Walker had 13 kills, 12 digs and five blocks. Belella continued to be her teammates’ best friend, accounting for 43 assists.
Their final opponent on the year was one they had major problems with all season, Wheeling Jesuit. In total, the Rams met them three times; all in all, they never won a set. Every time these two programs met, the Rams fell by a final of 0–3. Their final match of the campaign went no differently. Wheeling won 25–11, 25–20 and 25–21. The first set may have been lopsided, but the Rams were competitive in the other two.
Lewis, Walker and Meg Kenny will all be departing the team due to the expiration of their eligibility. Now is the time for Coach Smith and her staff to hit the road and begin looking for more talent to infuse into the squad. Recruiting is not exactly an easy task. If done right, it will lead to a more successful 2014.
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