The Waynesburg University women’s volleyball team went to Saint Vincent College to compete in the opening weekend of the volleyball season. Although the Yellow Jackets didn’t win any matches, but the team was competitive throughout the opening weekend. 

After two losses on Friday to Pitt-Greensburg and Otterbein, Waynesburg played two more games Saturday against La Roche and Alfred. 

 The Jackets lost the opening match to La Roche in straight sets. After that, they and nearly got their first win of the season against Alfred University before faltering in the fifth and final set, 15-12. 

 “The last game just didn’t go our way,” head coach Hayley Kirby said. “We just had a few close calls go the other way, and missed a few opportunities and that’s how we lost.” 

 For Kirby, one of the issues the team faced throughout the weekend was consistency.

 “The team didn’t put it all together at the same time. It seemed like we would do a few things really well from set to set, but then we had a few things that we didn’t do right, and that hurt the team,” she said. 

Another problem for Waynesburg was block and tip coverage. Kirby said this has been an issue in the past, so the team may need to focus on fixing it as the season progresses. 

Waynesburg got a few solid individual performances from athletes such as Maya Brooks and Hannah Colvin. 

 “They are probably the teams biggest offensive threats,” Kirby said. 

 Colvin had 11 kills against La Roche, and followed that up with 16 more against Alfred. 

 Brooks was quiet against La Roche, only recording 4 kills, but she made her presence known against Alfred, where she had 20 kills. 

 Another standout player was Alyson Johnson, who led the Jackets in digs in both games over the weekend. 

 “Alyson may have been our most consistent player this at this tournament,” Kirby said. “She was able to bring her a game throughout the weekend.”

 Hayley Pelini, a junior transfer, didn’t light up the scoreboard with flashy numbers, but she played well in her Waynesburg debut.  Against LaRoche, she had six kills, and followed that up with six more against Alfred. 

 “She had a good weekend,” Kirby said.  I expect her to have a breakout game soon, and from there to be a top player for us. She just needs some time to adjust to our system and get her footing. She will be a big part of our team this season.” 

 The Jackets may not have earned their first win of the season,but they did take a step in the right direction. The team will be looking for a win whenever they head to Franciscan on Thursday.