The university women’s volleyball team ended their 2019 season 14-16 after a 3-2 loss against Sam Houston State University.

After falling short in the first two sets, the Lady Lions fought to tie the match. In the final set, the Bearkats stopped the Lady Lions with a 15-12 win. 

Jo Simovic, a senior opposite, shared that a slow start caused errors to be more critical in the final set.

“We started off really slow and really bad, but we picked it up,” explained Simovic. “We had some really good plays. We also had some really bad ones. It all came down to who made more errors in the fifth set and unfortunately, we did.”  

Jodi Edo, a senior middle blocker, explained that the team also needed better execution.

“We need to learn how to side out fast,” said Edo. “When we lose a point, we need to hurry up and get the ball back. We need to learn to how to execute better so we can side out and get the ball back fast.”

Prior to the match, Simovic and Edo were honored for Senior Day as the two played their last game at the University Center. 

Jeremy White, head coach of volleyball, discussed how the senior players have improved throughout their time as Lady Lions. 

“They’re both great kids,” shared White. “They’ve done a great job of being great leaders by example and vocal leaders. I’ve seen a ton of improvement. Jodi, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody improve this much in their senior year. Jo, I’m really proud of her for taking and accepting a new role and being a great teammate about it.”

White explained that consistent energy would be needed in order to bounce back for their upcoming tournament.

“We got to come out aggressive and play tough and just be the team we are right now,” said White. “We’re a good team and we can compete with anybody here. The big thing for us is that we need to stay aggressive for the entirety of the match instead of just a part of it.”

The Lady Lions will look to regroup with a rematch against Sam Houston State in the Southland Conference Tournament on Nov. 22 in Conway, Ark.