By: Michael Del Genio
The Dominican women’s volleyball team began their season with a shutout loss at Eureka on Friday. The Stars were led on offense by sophomore rightside Olivia Pollak with six kills. Freshman outside Valeria Garcia protected the backcourt with seven digs.
The Stars are projected to finish last in the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) right behind Rockford University and Concordia Chicago University. Last season, they finished 2-21 with a win against Beloit College and former NACC member Alverno College.
Junior libero Fabiana Pizzo has high hopes for this new year:
“Biggest thing is we have numbers, practices have been more competitive. We scrimmage a lot more, more depth between positions and builds, more competitiveness between the positions themselves… Although our record wasn’t good last year, this year we’re using it as motivation to be better.”
Head coach Olivia Kofie enters her third season at the helm with a fresh recruiting class headlining six freshmen and four transfers in hopes to spark new life into the program.
“We focus a lot on form. We try to plan out each practice with a flow and focus on who we’re putting with each other. Working on different combinations and skill-based things and team bonding just to do as much as we can.”
Having had a hand in the recruitment of her entire active roster, the Stars have scratched a 14-34 record in their last two seasons under her lead.
“The overall goal is to make it into the tournament, come out with a winning schedule this year… People with nothing to lose are monsters. We struggled last year, ended second to last. What is there to lose.”
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