The California University of Pennsylvania women’s volleyball team is keeping their heads held high even after starting off the season rough. The team, who has a 2-7 record, are keeping positive, especially after posting a win against Alderson Broaddus on September 19.

The team needs to keep the positive vibes strong, as they head into a PSAC Crossover weekend at home on September 25 and 26. The team will be facing East Stroudsburg and Kutztown on the 25th and then West Chester and Cheyney on the 26th. After those matches their next, and last, PSAC Crossover will occur on October 16 and 17 at Lock Haven (16th) and Johnstown (17th), Pennsylvania.

Keeping optimistic about direction the team is heading is senior Mary Lavery.

Lavery is a right-side hitter and first started playing the sport because of her mother, who played in college and coached Lavery all her life until coming to Cal U. Lavery stands tall at 5’11 and is in her second consecutive year as a captain on the team. “I put pressure on myself to be better and try to be supportive of my teammates,” said Lavery. “I am so proud to be captains with my best friends and teammates Ema [Bobbitt] and Miranda [Fouzie] because together we make decisions that are best for the team.”

Lavery knows that the team hasn’t posted the exact results they would have wanted to, but she believes there is plenty of room for improvement. “Yes, we have struggled and are growing as a team which will allow room for improvement. Together we have to improve on the little things and then come together and play our game. We will prove ourselves through our handwork,” said an optimistic Lavery.

Keeping the optimistic spirit of being able to turn their record around, Lavery said that the team’s goals are “to work as a team and to compete at a high level. Our goal is to make it to the big tournaments and to win like the PSAC’s and Regional tournament.”