In search of its second Southeastern Conference win, Alabama volleyball returns home to face off against Ole Miss on Friday at 7 p.m.
Last season, the Tide went 0-2 against the Rebels, one of which was lost in a heartbreaking five sets and the other in a three-set sweep by Ole Miss.
Over the weekend, the Crimson Tide (12-4, 1-3 SEC) fell to both Georgia and Auburn on the road.
“I think it’s always better to be at home and get the benefits that Foster affords you, but I’m not sure that once you begin SEC play, there’s not anything called relief,” head coach Ed Allen said.
Though the teams were both comparable in ability to the Tide, Allen credits the fans of both Georgia and Auburn for providing an electric environment.
Junior Andrea McQuaid said the team’s play over the weekend is not an indication of their capabilities.
“We definitely went into the weekend wanting to take steps forward in our season, and we didn’t really do that,” McQuaid said. “We definitely grew from our experience last weekend after an 0-2 loss, but we’ve just got to move on from there. That’s the biggest thing for us right now.”
Redshirt sophomore Cristina Arenas said the best thing the team can do now is to move on from last weekend.
“I think it has a lot to do with putting what happened behind us and being able to learn from it, grow from it and come together as a team at this point, so we can continue to focus on getting better and growing, so that we can compete against the upcoming opponents,” Arenas said.
Although the Alabama volleyball team did not get the results it would have liked over the weekend, team members are still excited for what is to come in the remainder of the season.
Arenas said bringing the team together to create chemistry is something the Tide has worked very hard on.
“It’s just something that we’ll have to continue to work on,” Arenas said, “making sure that we keep everyone on the same page and keep everyone aware of what our goals are and where we’re trying to get in the season and making sure that everyone is pushing forward.”
The Tide knows its potential and has seen glimpses of greatness but needs more consistency. Part of that involves being victorious at home.
Allen said he knows just how to create a winning environment: through the fans, whom he calls “Foster kids.”
“I think, if you look through the SEC, teams typically defend their home court and struggle with winning on the road,” Allen said. “I think Foster and the fans of Alabama, because they are as passionate as they are, make it even more of a problem than most places.”
