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The Pitt State volleyball team stayed home last week to take on the Missouri Southern State University Lions on Thursday, Mar. 18. The Gorillas lost 0-3.
The Lions took the first two sets (25-16, 25-16). The Gorillas battled back in the third set, leading at one point, before the Lions pulled away with the victory (25-18).
Head Volleyball Coach Jen Gomez
“I don’t think we performed at our best,” Gomez said. “I think that we have a lot of room for improvement and I’m hoping this week we bounce back from that and get better.”
According to Gomez, the volleyball team has struggled offensively throughout the season but has spent the last few days of practice working on that.
“I just don’t think we ever got in a rhythm offensively,” Gomez said. “So, I think this week we spent more time working our offense and how to find ways to score and just being a better blocking team.”
Hope White led the Gorillas with nine kills.
“Hope White, our middle hitter, she did a really good job of doing the best she could while she was in,” Gomez said. “So, I was impressed with her. Marissa Bates, our libero.”
Th Gorillas are on their way to Topeka this weekend. They will play the Missouri Western State University Griffons on Saturday, Mar. 27 at noon followed by the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats later that day at 4:30 p.m. in Lee Arena.
According to the Pitt State athletic department website, the volleyball team has played the Missouri Western Griffons 16 times since 2009, with the Gorillas winning only five of those games and Missouri Western winning 11 of them. The Gorillas have lost the last six games against the Missouri Western Griffons. The volleyball team has played 18 games against Northwest Missouri. The Gorillas have won four of those games while the Northwest Missouri Bearcats have won 13. The volleyball team has lost the last seven games against Northwest Missouri.
Gomez hopes to see the team come back from the loss against the MSSU Lions.
“We go to Washburn this weekend to play the cross over with Missouri Western and Northwest Missouri and I just hope that we kind of learn from what we didn’t do well last week,” Gomez said. “…(I hope) that we can put it together this week and be a better offensive team and show up and win a game.”
The volleyball team is currently 2-6 overall and 1-4 in conference play.