Lady Lions Selma Robinson, junior, and Ryenne Gepford, senior, received a wild card bid to the The American Volleyball Coaches Association championship, a three day tournament in which 64 qualified pairs in the nation compete for the championship title.
Only two out of 64 pairs were given a wild card bid, designated for who did not already have a qualifier, meaning their performance in the spring was not left unnoticed. The championship took place in Huntsville, AL on Friday, Nov. 15 and ended Sunday, Nov. 17.
First year assistant coach and former player, Mackenzie Martin, described her expectations and takeaways for the tournament.
“Definitely finishing top 32 would be the overall goal,” Martin said. “We strive for this to be an experience for the girls but also a pathway for our program to continue to grow. They are representing not only themselves but our school on a national level.”
Each player is given a TruVolley ranking, which focuses on individual skill based on who they play and how much their opponent is beaten by. According to the TruVolley website, out of 14, most players fall between scores two to eight. Robinson and Gepford as a pair rank 7.64, making them 44th seed out of 64 total.
Robinson, AVCA Top Flight award winner, explained her and the team’s goal for the tournament and the work that was put in to prepare.
“Making it out of the pool is what we did last year and it took us really far,” Robinson said. “It aligns with the team goals of just being at the tournament and competing with the top teams in the nation and showing them that UNA is a growing program.We do mini sessions once a week and it’s basically just the coaches beating us up. That just makes it easier. Even when we play the good teams that we’re going to play, it’s not as challenging.”
Although only a pair is picked to compete, Gepford credits the team as a whole, as it was not just the coaches preparing her and Robinson to train for the tournament, but all players in the off-season.
“For [the team] right now, the fall season is over. But, they are out here and they are going to work hard at practice and give it their all for the next couple of days to prepare us for the tournament, which is awesome,” Robinson said.
Gepford concludes that, with receiving a wild card, there is not as much pressure on them. Although securing a win is the goal, having a good time is equally important.
She said, “We’re there to have fun, we don’t have anything to lose”.
The pair was put up against tough competition. They began Friday versus Florida State University and fell short 0-3, 17-21, 21-17, 10-15. They later lost 0-2 against Georgia State University 11-21, 19-21.
Saturday, The Lions defeated UT Martin 2-0, 21-14, 21-8, but were unsuccessful against Florida Gulf Coast University with a 0-2 record 17-21, 21-23.
To end the tournament, the Lions defeated Mercer 2-0, 21-15, 21-14) before falling short against The University of Alabama at Birmingham 0-2, 34-36, 16-21, putting them in fourth place within their pool.
UNA finished 54th, and The AVCA tournament brings to an end the Fall beach volleyball season until they resume gameplay in the spring.