By Zack Ciboth
he UNC Pembroke Volleyball team is looking to continue their program’s success last season and wash that Conference Carolinas Championship loss out of their minds as they get ready for another great year of Volleyball. The Braves are coming off a 21-14 record and a Conference Carolinas record of 12-5.
“Yeah, I think the off season went well. What was helpful is that we had a bigger team in the spring, which helps the dynamic of practice. Like we were able to have more game-like play in practice. So that kind of translated to when we had our scrimmages in the spring. So, I think having a younger team coming back, like we have a roster of 18, but 10 out of those 18 there, you know, are freshmen and sophomores,” Braves Head coach Jalessa Harper said. “So overall we’re a little bit younger, but I think we’re deeper. So, I’m excited about that and being able to play around with a lot of different rotations early on I think would be helpful the closer we get to playing”.
Although the road was not pleasant at times for the Braves as they went 6-7 when away from Pembroke, playing in front of the home crowd was completely different as the Braves only dropped three home contests, coming away with a 10-3 record. UNCP overcame the odds in the Conference Carolinas tournament taking down King and knocking off rivals Francis Marion and Mount Olive to get to the championship game. The Braves season, however, ended in a heartbreaking loss to Emmanuel.
Entering her second year at the helm Harper and the Braves are looking for revenge and looking to get back to the championship game and look to go even farther as to clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament, something the Braves are looking to get back to since the 2022 season which was also the year the Braves won the Conference Carolinas.
The Braves this year will court a very young team this season with a few returners coming back as well as bringing the veteran prescience back to the court especially with girls that were a part of the 2022 and 2023 season. Joining Harper on the sideline is Assistant coach Sara Pasour who joins the Braves staff after spending the 2023 season at Piedmont University.
“ I think because we still have a couple players left over from the championship team, the 22, and we of course made it back to the championship last year. So, we have a good group back from that as well. So, our veterans, they know what it takes to get there, and they understand that, you know, we’re gonna go through different phases of the season,” Harper said.
“Yeah, it’s always nice to play different teams in the preseason. ’cause not only do we wanna be competitive in conference and within our region, but we wanna see teams from all over if we can,” Harper said. “I think it’s just exciting to see different competitions, different styles of play and yeah, I’m just ready to have a good time, get some wins.
It will be a while till the Braves see the home court during the regular season as they gear up for a pair of tournaments. They will take part in the Bahama House Classic in Florida and then travel to Alaska to play in the Denali State Ice Block Classic. Braves will play their home opener on September 24th against Augusta.