By The Long Beach State women’s volleyball team are on the road again on Thursday against Loyola Marymount, and will then travel to San Diego for the Aztec Challenge on Friday and Saturday.
LBSU (1-5) is on a four-game losing streak, its last win was on Aug. 25 against Wright State.
The 49ers are facing a similar situation as last year: not being able to find their footing at the beginning of the season.
After a disappointing road trip to the Wolverine Invitational, the 49ers look to refine their game plan before going into Thursday’s match. Even with the losses, the members of the women’s volleyball team believe that this road trip saw a positive change in their play.
“Montana was a turning point for us,” senior setter Alexis Patterson said. “And while the record might not reflect it, we felt a new fighting attitude in the locker room.”
Patterson believes the team lacks tenacity, which is crucial to success.
“Every day I see teammates, who were not tough at the beginning of the season, getting tougher throughout each game and practice,” Patterson said. “It’s a matter of getting that grit and learning how to empower each other.”
LBSU has its first game against LMU (3-3) going into the matchup Thursday. Last year, the 49ers convincingly swept the Lions 25-17, 27-25, 25-13, but with the recent struggles the team is focused on being consistent.
“We’ve really prepared for LMU, learning what they like to run offensively and how they play defensively,” Patterson said. “We are going into the game with the confidence of beating them on their home court.”
After LMU, the 49ers will travel down to San Diego to face Pacific. LBSU will prepare for Pacific (3-4) by watching film and creating a game plan for Friday’s game in the Aztec Challenge.
On Saturday, the women’s volleyball team finishes its road trip against San Diego State (2-4). While the team has not prepared for San Diego State specifically, the 49ers are confident that they are headed in the right direction.
“As a team, we’ve grown even through the losses,” Patterson said. “While the record may not show it, we have made strides to getting where we want to go.”
