By Antonio Flowers
Staff Writer
The CSUDH women’s volleyball team is hosting a match against undefeated Cal State LA on Saturday. Saturday’s game against undefeated Cal State LA could reveal what the rest of the season has to offer. Win, or play them close, and there’s no reason to think that CSUDH won’t be in the hunt for a postseason berth. Get blown out, and the prospects aren’t as rosy.
The CSUDH women’s volleyball team’s first California College Athletic Association match was last weekend at San Francisco State University, and after a non-conference game against San Diego Christian in its home opener Wednesday, the Toros stand at 5-5.
The Toros began conference action the weekend of Sept. 7-8, losing to San Francisco State and Cal State LA, but then shut out San Diego Christian in their home opener Sept. 12.
“I would give our performance a B, ” Jennifer Adeva, who has coached the Toros for eight years, said last week, after they won their last three games in the D2 West Region Volleyball Showcase, in the Bay Area. “I would say that our performance has improved. We are consistent, we are getting more kills, [and] our blocking has improved as well.”
Every game for the rest of the season means something. There are 15 games remaining, all against CCAA foes. The Toros will face their three toughest matches in a two-week span, beginning Saturday when they host undefeated Cal State LA.
Cal State LA is 10-0 in the early going, with Cal Poly Pomona and Cal State San Bernardino close behind, at 9-1.
The CCAA is broken into two divisions, with six teams in both the north and south. CSUDH is in the south and as conference action heats up, it seems clear that the crème of the conference is in the south.
No team has yet played more than three times in conference, so there is plenty of time for a movement to the top of the leaderboard. But the Toros will have their mettle tested sooner rather than later. Along with playing Cal State LA Saturday, in two weeks, they get a crack at the other top two teams currently in the conference, hosting both Cal Poly Pomona, on Sept. 28, and Cal State San Bernardino Sept. 29.
With a .500 record thus far, it seems obvious that the Toros haven’t hit a steady groove, on the positive or negative side.
