For the second time this season, California Baptist University men’s volleyball team faced the Warriors of the University of Hawaii on Feb. 13.
The two teams previously matched up on Feb. 11, where the Warriors swept the Lancers in three sets, 25-15, 25-15 and 25-23.
The Feb. 13 game ended with another Lancer loss at 3-0, with sets of 26-24, 25-16 and 25-23.
“We’re two starters short this week,” said Wes Schneider, head coach of the CBU men’s volleyball team. “We’re trying to find guys to step into some roles, and unfortunately on Wednesday night, they didn’t come in ready to do the job.”
The game, however, showed a big improvement in the new lineup’s dynamic. Schneider said that through the hard work the team put in between games this week, the players were able to step up and do what they needed to do.
“We saw things that we needed to see,” he said. “I’m really proud of the guys who stepped it up and did some good things for us.”
One of the players to step up Friday night was Cody Jackson, sophomore mechanical engineering major and setter. Jackson finished the match with five kills and two blocks, tying Roy Powell, regular starter, opposite hitter and junior kinesiology major, for a team high .300 hitting percentage.
“I felt like we played great,” Powell said. “It’s a brand-new lineup out there, and we were able to hang in there with the competition.”
The teamwork showed when each member made an impact in the outcome of each set.
The Lancers kept each set close and played hard. They finished most sets with minimal deficits.
Schneider said he is proud of the way the team played, but there is still room for improvement.
“This game showed that we have good new pieces to throw into the mix,” he said.
The Lancers now hold an overall record of 3-11 with a 1-10 record in the Mountain Pacific Sports Conference.
