PN/Photo/ Willis Glassgow
By Zackari Ciboth, Sport Editor
The UNC-Pembroke Women’s Volleyball team will be kicking off the start of their 2023 regular season on Sept. 1. The Braves will look to continue their program success coming off a 21-14 overall record and a 15-2 in Conference Carolina play in which they claimed victory in the conference championship match against Emmanual (GA) with a final score of 3-1.
“Yeah, it’s been nice to see how we’ve been gelling together. I think you don’t know what to expect when you have many newcomers coming in. But I think we’ve been able to blend well with the newcomers and especially having a large freshman class and just the energy.” Volleyball head coach Jalisa Harper said. “Our team has really goof energy and feeding off each other, so I think outside of the volleyball play, that’s been exciting to see.”
Coming off the program’s first ever NCAA Regional Tournament appearance where they saw their season end with a 3-1 loss to Agusta in the first round. They will look to find themselves back in the conference championship and return to the NCAA regional under first year head coach Jaleesa Harper at the helm. The Braves also have eight returners from last year’s squad along with seven newcomers.
“Making the transition, I was recruiting a lot in the spring. So, I was doing a lot of traveling. I think we’ve been able to recruit well this season because we are deep in each position. If one person isn’t doing well, we’re able to put the next man up and the level of pace doesn’t change.” Harper said.
Before being named the 12th head coach in program history Harper joined the Black and Gold staff as a graduate assistant from 2018 and severed as an interim assistant coach from 2019-2020, eventually being promoted to assistant coach at the start of the 2021 season.
“I wanna win another championship of course. But I just wanna be able to make sure that we continue the standard, the championship standard. This is my sixth season, first year head coach so I’ve seen the program from where we were at the bottom to seeing the success that we’ve had over the past few years.” Harper said. “I just want to continue that tradition and continue to put our program on the map. I wanna win the conference, make a run at regionals again. I want all those things as well.”
After off-season workouts and scrimmages conclude the Braves will open regular season play in the Cedarville Invitational in Cedarville, Ohio. They will play four games over a span of two days starting September 1st and ending September 2nd. Their first match will be at 11:30 am on that Saturday against Glenville State University and they will play again later that night at 7pm against Cedarville to conclude day 1 play.
“I think just taking it one match at a time, and not thinking too far ahead. That’s going to be our mindset going into it. I’m excited and the girls are excited, but we have to take it on match at a time, making sure that we’re scouting our opponents in between games because we’re able to watch them just like there able to watch us.” Harper said. “We’re gonna have to adjust to a new environment, not having our own fans there. Maybe a small amount with parents traveling, but I think its just getting used to a different environment.
For more information visit: UNCP Athletics – Official Athletics Website (uncpbraves.com)