Connector Staff

UMass Lowell’s women’s volleyball team fell to 0-24 following two losses this weekend to Stony Brook University and UMBC at the Costello Athletic Center. However, it would be foolish to suggest that they are not improving with every Division I match they compete in.

When asked about what the transition to Division I meant in play and in practice, Head Coach Karen McNulty said, “For one, the games are faster and more intense now. We’re just trying to set different goals and improve individually and as a team. We want to make progress, get wins, get our RPI up and just get better.”

McNulty said she has a core group of veteran leaders on her team who she knows she can rely on to not get discouraged and to continue to play hard. Team leaders, like junior Hannah Rey, say they knew that the transition to the highest level of competition would not be an overnight success.

“It meant that everyone had to step up, work harder and prove that they could compete at this level,” said junior Hannah Rey.

Leadership is always important in any collaborative setting, athletic or otherwise. When asked about how team leadership affected team play and morale, Rey said, “Our leaders are like the quarterback of our team. Without them, there would be no team. They give us motivation and confidence heading into every game.”

“[Our leaders] set a good example for us on how to play at a higher level,” freshman and California native Megan Young.

Steady improvement has been a recurring theme for the River Hawks this season. When asked if they feel like they’re improving after every game, Merrill said, “We’ve been pushing ourselves more and more. We’ve definitely learned a lot about ourselves and each other this season.”

Adding to Merrill’s remark, Young said, “Ups and downs come with the D-1 transition and we have a few freshmen who get a lot of playing time. We’re just making overall improvements.”

Facing top-tier opponents in the America East Conference, the River Hawks have not been able to play with a lead in many games. When asked why they haven’t been able to win more than one set, Smith said the team needs to “finish like a team,” while Rey said, “We need to play tough all the way through.”

The team took something away from each experience, good or bad. For Merrill, it was “focusing on what we do well and improving on our mistakes.”

For fans, the season has still been exciting to watch as the team competes hard every game, with veteran leadership and new members on the team learning from the more experienced players. While the future is exciting, however, McNulty still maintains her primary focus on the next game.

“We just want to finish the season, train over the winter, and see what we have in the new recruits next spring,” said McNulty.

With the new Division I status and all the perks it comes with, one big setback remains: a four year ban on postseason play, including NCAA and conference championship tournaments. This ban will last as long as many freshmen are here at UMass Lowell.

Freshmen Lauren Bennett and Ana Anadon say it is “kind of a bummer that we don’t get the full D-1 experience,” but went on to say that this season is still a learning experience.

Young said, “It has no negative effect on us. Everyone still shows up and works hard.”

The elevation to Division I athletics this year was so monumental that alumni are coming back to support their former teams. Former UMass Lowell volleyball player Kendra Ciccone was in attendance at River Hawks’ last contest Friday night.

Ciccone, who last played for UMass Lowell in 2008, said she is “excited for the new competition” that UMass Lowell will face as a Division I athletic program.

Trying to sell a season featuring a 23-game skid to prospective players would seem like a challenge to most. However, the opportunity to play on a young team and be a part of an up-and-coming program is something that the coaches will use to recruit new talent.

Having “a chance to jump in and make a difference right away in the new D-1 program” will be an integral part of Coach McNulty’s recruiting campaign for the next couple of years. The lineup may be bolstered with freshmen again next year if that’s the case.

Intimidation and the Division I stage should not be a factor within this solid core of ladies. To incoming players, Rey says, “We will be here to help you. [D-1] is as new to us as it is to you.”

In school, there is a lesson and then there is a test. In the real world however, the test comes first and then the lessons are learned from it. The River Hawks volleyball team has been tested all season and they have learned from each and every one of them.

Their final two attempts at earning a victory this season will be on display this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. at Costello Athletic Center.