Women's Volleyball 10/17/2012 10:47:00 AM by Winston Harris

Home Stretch Heats Up

LAREDO, Texas – “There is no place like home.” That’s the phrase the TAMIU volleyball team is shouting as they come off a dominant display against conference opponent St. Mary’s last Thursday at home. The Dustdevils defeated the Rattlers in straight sets 3-0 despite a mix-up in scheduling in which TAMIU wasn’t even aware they had a game!

The kind of resiliency the Dustdevils showed will be called upon once again, as they prepare for the biggest and most important home stretch of the year.

TAMIU is set to play six out of their final eight games at home, with four of those games having conference implications. First up are the War Hawks of Mcmurry University, who knocked off TAMIU in straight sets earlier this season.

“That’s one of the matches that we just didn’t play well,” said Head Coach Marlon Sano, “But our kids have a chance at redemption… they‘re not happy about how they played at McMurry so they want to show them what we can do.”

And they will definitely get that chance at home Thursday night, as they look to ride the wave of recent energy.

“We are playing significantly better and this match is critical in terms of our momentum,” said coach Sano.

And momentum is right as TAMIU is currently on a two game winning streak heading into Thursdays match. “There is no place like home” will undoubtedly be ringing in the player’s hearts this home stretch as they have the road loss to McMurry dangling in their minds.

It looks like a little home stay is just what the doctor order for the Dustdevils after battling on the road for the latter part of four weeks. “We knew being home for four weeks was going to be a big thing and I think they gained a lot of confidence from winning on the road,” said Coach Sano. TAMIU has regained a newfound vigor from coming home that has been evident in their recent practices and last home win.

TAMIU is looking for their second straight berth in the Heartland Conference Tournament and this home stretch will play a major role. The Dustdevils are currently tied for fourth place with St. Mary’s with a conference record of 4-4. The magic number looks to be eight wins to solidify a spot as the top four teams go to the tournament. With that said, the Dustdevils need to win at least three of the next four conference home games which is a high possibility as the those teams have a combined conference record of 4-20.

TAMIU would then need to knock off one of the top three current teams in the heartland to solidify a tournament berth. If TAMIU can only pull off the wins over the below .500 squads, then they will have to hope for a loss on the part of Dallas Baptist, St. Edwards or St. Mary’s to creep into the fourth spot.

The table is set for the Dustdevils as they stare down the gauntlet which stands before them. They know what lies in front of them as they surge to make a playoff push. “We are trying to prepare for each match as it comes along and not look way ahead,” said Coach Sano. “We are just staying locked in”.

The Dustdevils will seek to use that focus on the War Hawks this Thursday as the match begins at 7 p.m.

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