Lady Sharks Off To Undefeated Start
There is dominant and then there’s Lady Shark dominant.
After winning a national volleyball championship last year—the team’s ninth in its history—the Lady Sharks are off to a sterling 18-0 start, losing only eight sets during the run.
“We are very focused on every game,” said outside hitter Sun Wenting. “For us, this season is a new beginning, no matter what we achieved last year.”
The Lady Sharks have used strong team chemistry to play almost flawless volleyball. They are first in the nation in assists per set averaging 12.15, third in the country in kills per set with 13.25, third in hitting percentage at .316 and seventh in digs per set with 19.07 per game. The Lady Sharks have also increased their blocks per set from 2.09 last season to 3.07 this year, which ranks fifth in the nation.
“This is great because it makes us feel confident and closer to accomplish our goal,” said middle blocker Paula Louro.
With a roster full of international players including some from the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Colombia, China and the Czech Republic the team has used its diversity to its advantage. They have blended seven new players onto this year’s roster without interrupting the team’s success. The team’s 18 game winning streak is its longest to start a season this decade.
Some of this year’s stalwarts have been Dominican outside hitter, Massiel Matos and Brazilian libero, Thais De Castro Andrade.
Matos leads the team in four separate categories: kills per set (3.61), kills (148), hitting percentage (.318) and serving aces per set (0.54). Andrade, a 5-foot-6-inch sweeper, leads the team in digs (239) and digs per set (6.29).
Despite the success, the team has faced adversity this year. They eked out wins against the College of Central Florida on Sept. 22 and Florida State College at Jacksonville on Sept. 23. They won both of those games 3-2.
“Through these games, we also found some problems…” Wenting said. “Coach Kiko often tell us how to solve the problem, and we have some targeted training about that.”
With the team getting into the brunt of their conference schedule in October they will rely on the lessons they have learned so far this season to ensure they qualify for the state tournament in the first week of November before even thinking about the national tournament.
“Always there are somethings to adjust,” Louro said.
The Lady Sharks next game is on the road versus Palm Beach State College at the Elisabeth W. Erling Gymnasium, 4200 Congress Avenue, on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m.
