Volleyball season to start Friday at Vette City Classic
WEST POINT, Ga. (Aug. 17, 2021) – Point University volleyball season starts Friday afternoon, and the Skyhawks are set and ready to return to action under the leadership of first-year head coach Faith Gineris.
Gineris, who took over as interim head coach in November of 2020 and was promoted to head coach of the Skyhawks in April of 2021, says she is excited for the future of Point volleyball and for her squad to return to action.
"From the time I took over as interim last November to now, I have seen these girls take it to the next level," Gineris said. "We were able to knock off the number one seed in conference play, but that wasn't the end all be all. The girls came in this preseason just as eager and hungry. They have been working very hard over the past few weeks, and I am so excited to see them together on the court."
Point's season begins with a trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to compete in the Vette City Classic, Aug. 20-21. On Friday, Aug. 20, the Skyhawks will open their season against Campbellsville at 3 p.m. ET, before facing Tennessee Southern at 8 p.m. ET. On Saturday, Aug. 21, the Skyhawks will kick day two off at 10 a.m. ET, against Pikeville, before finishing the tournament off at 3 p.m. ET versus Shawnee State.
This season's focus
After finishing the 2020-21 season with an impressive postseason performance, Gineris expects the momentum from last season to carry over and for the team to continue building on the culture and unity the team finished last season with.
"For us, this year, we are focusing on our culture and holding ourselves more accountable," Gineris says.
Gineris adds that the accountability she expects her team to hold for themselves is not limited to on the court, but even more important off the court.
A look at last season
The Skyhawks finished the 2020-21 season in eighth place in the Appalachian Athletic Conference with an overall record of 12-9. Point entered the AAC tournament as the eighth seed and faced the No. 1 seed, Bryan College, and upset the Lions in four sets to advance to the tournament's semifinal round. Before last season, the Skyhawks earned a trip to the NAIA Women's Volleyball National Championship in 2019 for the first time in school history.
According to the AAC Coaches' Preseason Poll released last Tuesday, Point is projected to finish the 2021 season seventh in the conference. "Ranking us seventh is understandable due to how we played last year," Gineris said. "We were up and down a lot during the season and did not show everything we could have until the end. I believe we will end a lot higher than many people are expecting us to. I have high expectations and hope for this team."
On the roster this season
Point will be returning 15 players, seven being seniors, from last year's squad, while also bringing in 10 newcomers. Gineris is expecting her experienced upperclassmen to help set a tone and lead this year's team.
Senior outside hitter Te'a Owens returns after leading the team last season with 224 kills, averaging 3.4 per set. Owens also helped lead Point's defense with 207 digs and a .964 pass percentage. Her efforts during the regular season earned her a spot on the All-AAC second team, and her efforts during the AAC tournament earned her a spot on the AAC tournament team. Owens, who participated as a senior last season, returns after the NAIA granted every fall sport athlete an additional year of eligibility due to the heavy presence of coronavirus. Gineris says that Owens will play an important role for the team on both the offensive and defensive ends and that if she continues to build on where she ended last season, she should have a very successful year.
The Skyhawks are returning senior setter Kaitlyn Hawke, who earned a spot on the All-AAC second team alongside Owens. Hawke tallied 611 assists and 221 digs in 79 sets last season. She also had a team-high of 29 aces.
Senior middle Sarah Baucham is another upperclassman who Gineris expects to help lead the team and help bring a drive and motivation onto the court. Gineris goes on to describe Baucham as an offensive threat and powerhouse at the net.
On the schedule for this season
Point has a total of 30 matches with 20 conference matches. The Skyhawks open their season with three tournaments, followed by two nonconference matchups before turning to conference action.
Point's three tournaments include the Vette City Classic, Berry College Tri-Match and Captain Jack Volleyball Quad. Following the tournaments, the Skyhawks host No. 20 Keiser and Faulkner at West Point Park Gymnasium before hosting Reinhardt in its AAC opener on Sept. 9.
The Skyhawks host 17 matches at home, with their most notable matches being against Reinhardt, who received votes in the NAIA Preseason Poll, CIU on Sept. 24, the 2020-21 AAC regular-season champions, Bryan, on Oct. 1, in-state rival Truett McConnell, on Oct. 12 and Milligan, who has earned a trip to the NAIA National Tournament for three consecutive years, on Oct. 30.
"We have some really good competition this year from preseason to conference," says Gineris. "We have Keiser University traveling to us this year, which I anticipate being a great match and a great opportunity for our team. We kick off conference play on Sept. 9th at home against Reinhardt. Any time we see them on the schedule, it is a big game. We are excited to open the season with them in front of our home crowd."
Attendance and streaming
Fan attendance for indoor events is permitted. Fans must follow Point guidelines regarding wearing masks and social distancing, which will be updated periodically throughout the season based on the number of case counts in the community and on campus. All games will be streamed live and live stats will be available.