UMass Boston’s Volleyball program is turning their calendar over to October. The first of the month marked the midpoint of their regular season play. Now that half of the games have passed by, the Beacons are trying to adjust in order to turn things around in the second half of the year.
The team is experiencing their worst start in almost a decade of play. In the past nine seasons, Condon has led her side to eight playoff trips, resulting in five Conference Tournament Titles.
The reason for the drop off is the lack of experience on the roster. After a large overhaul in personnel, Condon has been trying to piece together the puzzle. Only six players are returners from last season’s roster and nine new players are freshmen. Each game has been a test for Condon in her efforts to develop a brand new side. Now that the youthful Beacons have gained some experience from the first half of season play, the team is beginning to develop some momentum.
In their past six games, the Beacon Volleyball program went 3-3 in regular season play, and 1-1 in the Little East Conference.  After a 1-7 start, it appears that that the squad has turned things around for good.
Last home game, the Beacons had a convincing win as they faced up against a weak sided Wellesley College. “We beat Wellesley last night in three straight (games). Team chemistry was fantastic and three of our hitters (Murphy, Koen, Shi) all played well. I had 31 assists and Glavan also played very well,” said Captain Pepper Baker. “It was a great game for us and an important win since we’ve been having trouble getting into the swing of things. (The game) showed that we do have the talent and potential to be an outstanding team; we just have to build our chemistry.”
Baker and her fellow captains are attempting to continue their streak of success. However, in their most recent game against Babson, they suffered a loss in four games. This was a difficult loss for the side, as it would bring them a few games off 500. “We had a strong first game and won 25-7. Chianco came in and did a tremendous job on defense,” said Baker. “Then we dropped two games after that. We fought hard (to even up), but fell just a bit short.”
As the Beacon Volleyball program hits their final stretch, the squad seems to be on a win streak. The girls seem confident that they can end the season with a bang and reach the postseason. Baker and her teammates have five LEC conference games left and if they can win three, they will be a lock for a playoff spot. “We still have a lot of work to do, but we have improved a lot and will continue to succeed through our conference games. I know we will only keep going up from here.”