Nearly a quarter way into their 2019 season, the Lady Lions volleyball team have already surpassed last year’s overall record.

After ending last year’s season with a record of 2-27, the team is now 3-7 overall in the season after its victory against Jackson State University on Sept. 14.

Jeremy White, head coach of volleyball, feels the team is going in the right direction.

“I am very happy with where we are at the moment,” said White. “We are a growing program, and the girls have made a great effort to change the program. We are competing well against some really great teams. We have not quite closed out as many as we would have liked, but it is great that we have already eclipsed last year’s win total this early into the season, and we are moving in the right direction.”

After last season, the coaching staff worked on making several improvements to the team.

“Our big focus as been on a culture change as well as a heavy focus on technical training,” explained White. “We are making a big effort to improve our volleyball skills across the board. With this, also instilling an ability to come and complete to win. I feel that the program in the past has sort of focused on competing not to lose.”

According to White, the team has responded well to the changes that he put into place over the course of this season.

“The team vibe has been very positive so far,” described White. “There are times where some of our girls have been frustrated due to the amount of information we are throwing at them. For the most part, however, the atmosphere that I get from the team is extremely positive. They have been working very hard so far this year and have had a great attitude about making changes and improvements.”

Compared to previous seasons, White believes that the team is now being held to a higher standard due to these improvements.

“The Tulane match was a huge win for us, the kids really enjoyed that and had a lot of fun doing it,” said White. “At the same time, we have had games where even though we were not competing very well, we were not able to secure a win. A lot of that goes back to that lingering attitude of competing not to lose. So, the vibe fluctuates depending on the game but right now, the vibe is fairly positive.”

White hopes that the student-athletes continue to grow and stay healthy.

“Above all, I just want to make sure our kids stay healthy and in shape,” described White. “That is my only really concern about the team at the moment. I love the team. They work hard and they are always trying to get better. It is really nice to see the growth we have already had so far this season not only in terms of our athletic progress, but the kids progress as individuals and as people.”