Despite the Mizuno Tiger Classic tournament being the first official test for the Saint Louis University volleyball team, the Billikens were able to rally in Baton Rouge, La., going 2-1 Aug. 24 and 25.
“The games this weekend were the first we’ve played as a team, and we were really excited because we didn’t know what to expect or whether we would gel together,” sophomore Bridget Fonke said.
In their second match against the University of New Orleans, the Lady Bills swept the Privateers 3-0 with contributions from Fonke (11 kills), and sophomores Sammi McCloud (9 kills) and Sally Warning (8 kills).
Fonke said that she was able to show her potential as an outside hitter in the UNO match. After racking up career bests in every statistical category, she was selected as Atlantic 10 Conference co-player of the week Aug. 27.
“The LSU tournament this weekend was the first time I played this season,” Fonke said. “I got a bunch of kills, and I had a great game for myself, and that’s the reason why I was Co-player of the Week. But I didn’t get to play too much last year so this was the first time I got to prove myself and be known as an outside hitter.”
The next game for the Billikens took place against the LSU Tigers, who are ranked 23 in the nation. Although the Billikens took the Tigers to a game five, a few defensive and passing errors kept SLU from winning the championship.
“I think they had some really smart shots in the last couple games that gave us some trouble,” Fonke said. “It’s all about where we need to be on the court, and we have so much potential if we can pick up smarter shots from other teams and be able to play with it.”
Overall, though, head coach Anne Kordes said she was pleased with each individual effort on the team during the LSU match-up. Both Fonke and Roth were named to the All-Tournament team in recognition of their outstanding performances in the tournament.
“Bridget Fonke absolutely went off tonight,” Kordes said in an online press release. “Sammi McCloud anchored our team, Whitney Roth set one of the best games of her career and Whitney Behrens was steady the entire match, keeping us in it. Our middle blockers also played great tonight containing their middles.”
In response to a great finish in Louisiana, the Billikens need to keep the intensity up for the next couple games if they are going to have a successful season, according to Fonke.
“We are a really emotional team and we need to use our emotions to our advantage by getting to every ball and working hard every play,” she said.
In addition to playing at a high level, which includes good passes and smart shot selections, the Billikens will look to continue the hard work ethic the seniors instated last year.
“I feel like we had great leadership from our seniors last year, and they led the way and helped carry the team, Fonke said. “Even though they’re gone, all the new people are stepping up as leaders and everyone is working really hard. All the work the seniors did last year is carrying over to this year, and feel we are getting better and better with each game we play.”
