Grit, Connections, And An Appetite For More
Providence Christian College women's volleyball team faced two NCAA D III SCIAC opponents on back-to-back days and emerged with a split. The Lady Sea Beggars traveled crosstown to face California Institute of Technology on Friday September 1st and they traveled to the University of Redlands on September 2nd.
Providence opened the weekend versus Cal Tech in a closely contested four set match between two solid squads. Both teams exchanged points throughout the match, but the Lady Sea Beggars came out on top with scores of 25-23, 17-25, 25-19, and 25-23. The victory improved the Providence overall record to 3-1. The Beggars showcased their attacking prowess throughout the match and their resolve to find a way to get the win. Several key players from Providence contributed significantly to the team's victory. Jacey Loewen emerged as the top scorer for the Lady Sea Beggars, registering 12 kills in 20 attempts while providing crucial defensive support with 2 blocks and 1 service ace. Tiari Ho'okano showcased her offensive skills with 9 kills and Chenelle Jones displayed her defensive prowess with 16 digs, and Tehani Ho'okano contributed 8 assists. The Lady Sea Beggars registered 10 service aces and 10 blocks.
Senior transfer Tiari Ho'okano said, "Tonight my girls and I had a rough start, but we pulled through for one another! We went back to our basics and each of us focused on our roles that helped contribute to our victory! The support from our fellow Sea Beggars as well as from one another made this an even sweeter dub! Although we came out with the win, we are looking forward to growing as both individuals and players both on and off the court." Sophomore Jacey Loewen said, "Our offense was consistent tonight and we stayed disciplined in the two scheme which helped slow the ball down. We also got them out of system with our serving and that played a huge roll in point difference." Freshman Jaznel-Lynette Baker-Samuelu expanded saying, "That game felt better than the other games, but I think we must find a way to stay up the entire game. We have our foot on the pedal in the beginning and we start to slow down when it's time to finish the game. Other than that, it was a fun game, and I personally felt more relaxed."
Providence volleyball returned to the court energized from their victory the previous night to face off against the University of Redlands, falling just short in a highly contested five-set match. It was a close battle, with both teams showcasing their skills and determination throughout. Redlands came away victorious with set scores of 24-26, 25-22, 23-25, 27-25, and 7-15. The two teams were very evenly matched, and the Beggars matured and grew throughout.
Providence's top performers included Tiari Ho'okano with 13 kills and Jacey Loewen with 11 kills, as well as Tehanin Ho'okano with 5 aces, 14 digs, and 19 assists. However, the Lady Sea Beggars struggled with their serving, committing 10 service errors throughout the match compared to Redlands' 5. Defensively, Providence put up a strong fight, finishing the night with a total of 87 digs, behind strong performances by Tehani Ho'okano, Jaznel-Lynette Baker-Samuelu with 13 digs, and Chenelle Jones with 6. Overall, the match was a display of resilience and skill from both teams.
When asked about the team's performance versus Redlands, assistant coach Athena Abary, said, "The girls played great and put up a really good fight against Redlands, basically playing point for point all five sets. Defensively, the girls were making huge plays and gave our team opportunities to score. Having two defense heavy teams in a match makes the game so exciting to watch and the girls have set a new standard for themselves that Coach Lauryn and I will hold them to going forward. Bits and pieces are starting to come together so it'll be exciting to see what happens in Arizona to start conference play." Sophomore Rachel Jensen said, "It was a battle of a match and Redlands came out a little tame, surprised with our level of play. But towards the end of the first set, the Bulldogs started to fight back. While the official outcome was a loss, the Lady Beggs' gained much more than a box score. We gained grit, better connections within our team, and an appetite for more."
The two matches showcased the Beggars' talent and competitiveness, and the preseason has set the stage for an exciting California Pacific Conference season set to begin this week. The Lady Sea Beggars hit the road to Arizona for a three-game series versus Park-Gilbert on 9/7, Embry-Riddle on 9/8, and Benedictine Mesa on 9/9. Providence is primed to turn some heads as they move forward in the 2023 season.