Volleyball has started this season with a 6-1 home record and 3-0 in West Coast Conference (WCC) play for the first time in program history, before falling to San Diego on Oct. 9. They are currently 5-3 in WCC play, which is their best conference start since 2017.
Their most recent win was a 3-0 sweep against Pacific on Oct. 23, the first time in program history the Pilots have swept the season series against the Tigers.
The team’s chemistry has allowed the players to make improvements individually and as a group. They are anchored by seamless connections between redshirt sophomore setter Havannah Hoeft and senior outside hitters Elin Larsson, who currently leads the team with 206 kills, and Lucia Busso. Busso trails Larsson and senior outside hitter Maui Robins with 172 kills and was named to the All-Tournament Team on Oct. 15.
Hoeft is well-decorated for a redshirt sophomore. In her debut 2024 season, she won WCC Honorable Mention and WCC Freshman of the Week. Last month, she won WCC Setter of the Week on Sept. 29.
Redshirt sophomore setter Havannah Hoeft goes up for a pass at a home game against San Francisco on Oct. 16th. The Pilots swept San Francisco 3-0.
Hoeft works on and off the court to produce in-game results. She credits consistent repetition for her ability to connect sets with her teammates.
“We are constantly getting reps,” Hoeft said. “Constantly challenging ourselves to pass better balls, more on the net.”
Hoeft says she trusts her teammates, not only because of how they work together in practice, but because of the off-court relationships they have.
“I trust my hitters,” Hoeft said. “I trust in their decisions because, at the end of the day, they're the ones who finish the job. And it's my job to give them the opportunity to do that.”
The Pilots ended the 2024 season with a 12-16 overall and 5-13 WCC record. This year, they returned with a new mindset that influenced their approach to this season. The team has goals for the season, including finishing top-half of the conference and making the post-season.
Larsson attributes the team's early-season success to their roster stability. This year’s roster has 14 returning players, compared to six new players, which has strengthened teammate relationships and improved team performance.
“We're such an even team, it gives everyone a chance to get better every day in the gym,” Larsson said. “The competitiveness is very high, which has helped us to get better and where we are at today.”
The team’s momentous start has given them a strong foundation for the rest of the season. Hoeft also says the team has become more confident in their ability to fight to win every game.
“We kind of thrive on confidence as a team,” Hoeft said. “Having momentum, it really helps us play much better and play how we know we play.”
The team sees their early-season non-WCC play as a starting point for their accomplishments, as these games helped prepare them for conference competition.
“We did have a really challenging pre-season this year,” Busso said. “Throughout this, we played really good teams such as U.H. [Hawaii], Oregon and we really challenged ourselves a lot.”
Going forward, the volleyball team will be immersed in conference play. They will play an away match at St. Mary’s on Oct. 25 before returning home to face Oregon State on Oct. 30.
Audrey Day is a sports reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at daya28@up.edu.
