PLNU VOLLEYBALL EXPECTED TO CONTEND ONCE AGAIN IN 2024

(SAN DIEGO) After winning a first PacWest championship a season ago, expectations remain high for PLNU Volleyball in 2024. 

“We always have big and bold expectations,” Head Coach Jonathan Scott said. “Every year we have an expectation that we're right there, whether we're winning the conference or whether we’re making the regional.

“I think the difference this year is a lot of the returners probably have different expectations now that they've tasted it.”

The team will have plenty of veteran experience to rely upon once again this year, with five Sea Lions playing in their final season of eligibility. That reality brings a lot of similarities to last year’s squad, which also featured an experienced roster. 

“The biggest difference that is noticeable with a lot of new pieces, despite their experience, is just the lack of chemistry,” Scott said comparing last year’s squad to this year’s group. “Despite that, it looks very similar to last year is we're just playing really good ball from day one.

“We haven't had a preseason lull. I've been very fortunate that last year and this year we're all through preseason and I'm not in any way doubting our ability to go deep.”

Throughout the upcoming season, the team will try to put its motto of “competitive joy” on display.

“I'm a big believer that joy is not circumstantial, but happiness is,” Scott said. “Volleyball is a sport where we fail a lot. We lose almost half the rallies and if we're going to let the circumstances dictate if we get happy or sad, that's not a good way to go about life, let alone volleyball.

“I don't think that's what true competitors allow themselves to do. We talk about competitive joy where we're choosing joy despite the circumstance, even if we shanked a ball or lost the point. We’re going to choose joy and allow competitiveness to lead.”

ROSTER

Point Loma returns nine players from last year’s conference championship team while adding seven new players to the fold.

“We have a lot of new faces this year, but they’ve all joined our identity easily and with welcome arms,” Scott said. “It's been very seamless actually so that's definitely exciting.”

Most notable among the returners are All-Americans Abigail Nua (outside hitter) and Anna Massari (middle blocker).

“Abi has done a really good job over her years of putting her head down and getting to work,” Scott said. “She's quite a talent and she's also got that ability to take it to the next level as necessary and so that that's a pretty tough combo for the other side.

“Anna just wants it so bad. She never needs more fuel and has plenty of fuel from within. They’re also our two captains, so hopefully competitiveness is an area where we're not only never lacking but the two of them can continue to pull everyone up.”

The Sea Lions also bring back starting setter Sophia Baugh.

“The offense is in her hands and she has the swag and the ability to back it up, so we we're definitely excited there,” Scott said.

Among the newcoming players are five transfers, including three from the NCAA Division I level in libero Makenna Joyce and outside hitters Genevieve Hara and Charleston Tidwell.

Fellow transfers Kira Federico and Avery Allemann are also expected to make an immediate impact, as is freshman outside hitter Saren Rogers.

“It's a pretty perfectly balanced roster top to bottom as far as class goes,” Scott said. “Bringing in the transfers that we did just made sense. They fit us, they fit our institution, and they filled a need. Each and every one of them are outperforming expectation.”

SCHEDULE

Point Loma begins its season on Thursday at 5 p.m. against Chadron State as part of the San Diego Invite, which the Sea Lions are co-hosting with Cal State San Marcos.

PLNU will then take on Simon Fraser in San Marcos on Friday at 1:30 p.m. before hosting CSUSM on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Sea Lions will then travel to Nampa, Idaho for the NNU Tournament to close out its non-conference schedule.

“Every one of them is a quality opponent, so we have to show up and be ready to go,” Scott said. “I think this is a group where I’m really hoping at minimum expecting probably is the better word to have a really good preseason record.”

The team will then open up its PacWest title defense on Sep. 19 at Concordia to begin a stretch of nine away matches out of its first 11 conference contests.

PLNU will then finish PacWest play with eight home matches out of the remaining nine, including seven straight from Oct. 31 to Nov. 16.

However, with the addition of three new schools to the PacWest this season, there will be an imbalanced schedule with 14 schools in the conference now. The Sea Lions will play some teams twice and others just once, as opposed to the typical home-and-away series in the past.

“We don't necessarily know what it's going to look like by the end of the year,” Scott said. “It’s quite possible that the ‘best’ team in the conference might not have the best record simply due to who they play or don't play two times. But that's out of our hands and we're just going to try to do it anyway.

“As far as strength the schedule goes, we and the SoCal teams have an advantage for a regional berth because we're going to have a better strength of schedule than we've had in the past simply due to the conference schedule. But as far as conference finish, we are at a so-called disadvantage because we have a harder schedule than anybody in the other two regions.”

The conference winner will then earn an at-large berth into the NCAA West Regional, which begin Dec. 5.

Each regional champion will then advance to the NCAA Championships Dec. 12-14 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

To view the team’s full schedule, click HERE.