SMU Volleyball Opens ACC Play Against No. 5 Pittsburgh Twice

There isn’t any easing into ACC play for the SMU volleyball crew this season.

The Mustangs open with No. 5 Pittsburgh, back-to-back. They host the Panthers on Wednesday earlier than touring to Pitt on Sunday. But the fifth-ranked Mustangs are examined by means of the 10-game nonconference schedule.

“We’re definitely getting better. We’re better at the end of noncon than where we started,” SMU head coach Sam Erger stated. “Which, that’s the goal. We’re significantly better than where we were when we started. The ACC, it’s so tough, and we play the team that’s picked to win it twice in a row to start.”

The Panthers had been picked to win the ACC this preseason by the convention coaches, incomes 10 of the 18 first-place votes. When SMU performed its back-to-back video games in opposition to Pittsburgh final yr, they had been the fifth and sixth convention video games of the yr. 

This time, the Mustangs must construct off classes from the nonconference schedule, together with a pair of robust, 3-1 losses at No. 3 Kentucky and to No. 10 Purdue in Lexington.

“In both of those games, we had chances to go up (2-0),” Erger stated. “We won the first set in both of them, and then we had either momentum or a chance to go two up. Against Kentucky, we started Set 2 on a 6-2 run … and then we let them back in. And then against Purdue, I think we were up 22-21 or something in the second set to go win it. So, if you have opportunities, you need to seize them. Good teams are not going to lay down and die.”

Even although the Mustangs got here into their first ACC season coming off a convention title and two-round run within the NCAA match, there have been questions on how they’d deal with an influence convention schedule.

They completed fourth within the convention and had been the one convention loss for champion Pitt a yr in the past. And coming into ACC play this yr ranked eleventh within the nation, SMU is aware of it is not going to sneak up on anybody anymore. 

“We’re getting everybody’s best game,” Erger stated. “We’ve proven that we can do really well in the RPI. … It’s totally different being the hunted. We’ve been saying, ‘Hey, we don’t care. We’re also going hunting. We’re going to hunt right back.’ But yeah, we’re getting every coach’s best game plan. Nobody’s overlooking us.”

While SMU is feeling the consequences of the success being constructed, this yr’s roster could be very completely different. Only 4 gamers stay from final yr’s crew. This offseason the Mustangs added veteran setter Averi Carlson — who earned her third ACC Setter of the Week honor this previous week — and senior outdoors hitter Madison Scheer from energy convention packages.

But the remainder of the items are both younger with out a lot expertise — like Favor Anyanwu and Jadyn Livings — or veterans like Malaya Jones and Jordyn Schilling who’re getting their first energy convention expertise. Not to say freshmen Christa Wilburn and Maggie Croft, who’ve obtained important enjoying time this season.

“I think we’ve learned that this team wants to fight and wants it,” Erger stated. “We just need to become, honestly, more skilled. … We need to train, and we need to get better because these players have the right mindset, but they’re, honestly, just not good enough yet. They’re good, but I’m talking about trying to go from good to great. Last year, we were very skilled, but we capped out. This team is nowhere near capped out.”

The potential this yr’s crew has is why Erger believes a convention championship is not out of the query. While the Mustangs may not be the favourite, they don’t seem to be far behind the likes of Pittsburgh, Louisville and Stanford.

That brings an added stage of pleasure to convention play.

“I think the ACC is more open than it’s ever been. I will be very surprised if the champion goes undefeated,” Erger stated. “I don’t see that happening. … I’m super excited for it to be more open than it’s ever been and feel like we legitimately have a chance to maybe go win a championship. You don’t always feel that way, and I feel like we at least are in the conversation.”