In their second tournament of the season, the Wildcats suffered two losses before finding their rhythm and defeating the College of the Holy Cross for volleyball’s second win this season.

In the UTSA Invitational, the Wildcats found a standout player in Alexis Strong, sophomore pin hitter from Louisville, Kentucky. Strong was placed on the all-tournament team at the end of the weekend.

Head Coach Ijeoma Moronu said she was impressed with Strong’s swing and how she implemented what the team has been talking about in practice. 

“She took a lot of really great swings, high hands, a lot of things that we’ve been talking about at practice,” she said. “I’m just super proud that she was able to just turn on that switch and keep it on for three matches in a row.”

Strong said swinging comes naturally to her, but she often has to focus on playing smarter and selecting shots instead.

“I think my shot selection went well this weekend. I’ve been working on that a lot in practice,” she said. “[The coaches] have been trying to get us to be a little smarter.”

Moronu Alstrup said she has been pleased with how Strong has improved since her freshman season last year, especially in her consistency. 

“She comes in on her own time and works really hard, and so I think she’s grown a lot in her consistency and ability to score points in more than one way,” she said. “She has a good toolbox now, and she’s utilizing it a lot more than she did last year.”

Strong has begun the season well with 45 kills in six matches, hitting .438 in the game against Holy Cross.

Strong said the spring season helped her and the other athletes she came in with grow and improve because of the additional time in the gym, even though the team did not play as many games. 

Traveling so much as a team, the Wildcats have formed bonds that help them focus and understand how everyone plays, beneficial to their success.

As helpful as the travel and the bonding involved with it is, Strong and Moronu Alstrup said they are thankful to be heading home soon.

“We’ve been practicing for so long now, so we’re excited to get to show everything we’ve worked for,” Strong said. 

Moronu Alstrup said she is looking forward to playing at home for the crowds and the energy they will bring for every game. 

“I’m so pumped to be back home in Moody,” she said. “We started to get a really great fanbase last year. I’m super excited to see how they show up for us once we come back home.”

Before the Wildcats head back home, they will play at New Mexico State University at the Borderland Invitational. Moronu Alstrup said she is hopeful for this weekend based on their performances in the UTSA Invitational. 

“The Holy Cross game was a really great game for us because we had two really tough losses prior and it felt like a really good team win,” she said. 

Moronu Alstrup said the team has a lot of potential going forward this season, especially with how they played in the game against Holy Cross. 

“I think that being able to go on runs just speaks to how dialed in they were and how locked in they were to each point and making a difference for the match,” she said. 

The Wildcats will play against the University of Arizona and New Mexico State on Friday, and then go on to play Texas Southern University on Saturday.

The team will return home to play in Moody Coliseum on Sept. 19, when the Wildcats will play Alabama A&M University.