After finishing 2-2 in the Ohio Wesleyan tournament in early September, the volleyball team had experienced a run of five straight losses. They broke out of their drought in fine fashion with a 3-0 victory against non-league opponent Lake Erie on Tuesday, Sept. 19.

The Yeowomen put up strong performances in the first and second periods, establishing leads of over ten points and eventually winning those periods 30-26 and 30-22, respectively. Lake Erie put up a fight and almost had a comeback, but consistent play from junior Deysi Villarreal, sophomore Elizabeth Segroves and first-year Tammela Platt helped the Yeowomen to a 30-28 win in the third period.

“We played well, but the Oberlin girls were too much for us,” stated a disappointed Lake Erie supporter as he departed from the Oberlin sports complex.

Villarreal attributed the team’s strong performance to maintaining their focus against a weaker opponent. “When playing Lake Erie we had the same focus as playing high level teams. Those focuses were on service receiving and defense. We knew that if those two points were covered on the court we could beat Lake Erie.”

Prior to its victory, Oberlin lost to league opponent Allegheny College on Sept. 15, then lost all three games in the Hiram tri-match on Sept. 16. The game against the Gators was Oberlin’s second of the North Coast Athletic Conference, as the team dropped to 0-2 in regular season play. It worked hard defensively but could not catch Allegheny, losing 18-30, 15-30 and 22-30.

The following day Oberlin traveled to NCAC opponent Hiram for three games, which also included St. Vincent College and Thomas More College. The Yeowomen played Hiram first, with the Terriers taking all three games. Hiram was strong from the start. Oberlin could never muster a come back, losing 11-30, 18-30 and 16-30.

Oberlin’s play improved against Thomas More; the team started strong with a 30-26 win in the first game. Although the Yeowomen dropped the next two games 22-30 and 16-30, Oberlin found life in the fourth game. Oberlin pushed Hiram until the end, but was unable to squeeze the victory, losing narrowly 29-31.

The final match was against St. Vincent. After playing two matches already, especially an intense game against Thomas More, fatigue started to set in. Oberlin played well, despite losing 17-30, 16-30 and 20-30.

Although the Yeowomen were not getting their desired results, Villarreal was adamant that there were plenty of positives from the weekend games. “While playing the three games this weekend, Oberlin volleyball took a giant leap forward. We began to compete with teams we never thought we could.”

Even though there have been low points so far this season, Villarreal has continued to enjoy herself out on the court. “Oberlin played a great game against Lake Erie. OC volleyball has gotten the jitters out and it’s the best time of my life.”

The Yeowomen now have a 3-7 record and will resume their league campaign against Wittenberg University on Friday, Sept. 22.