Volleyball takes positives from fifth place finish, but improvements are needed

Courtesy of Larry Newman

The 2024 season for​ Chapman’s volleyball team ended with a competitive loss in the first round of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament, falling to Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. The Panthers finished their season with a 12-16 overall record and 7-9 in the conference.

Although they were knocked out of the playoffs, there was still cause for celebration within the team, as the “two Olivias” were both named to the All-SCIAC teams.

Junior outside hitter Olivia Sampson, a political science major, and junior middle blocker Olivia Harrison, a junior psychology major, were recognized as top performers in the conference. As both move into their senior year, they represent the core of a team that will need improvement across the board.

Sampson spoke on the impact of Harrison, who transferred to Chapman for this season. Her skills on the court made the rest of the team elevate their play.

“She has the ability to completely switch the momentum of our game with one block or kill,” Sampson said.

Despite how it ended, both Sampson and senior setter Gabrielle Carbonel, a biological sciences major, focused on the positives of the season in interviews with The Panther.

Chapman had several standout moments throughout the season, with certain victories being true highlights, according to Carbonel. Her favorite was a victory over eventual SCIAC champions, La Verne University, which showed the talent and resiliency of the team. It was an upset win and is a reason Carbonel has hope for the future of the program.

Carbonel did, however, point out a key area that future teams will need to be aware of.

“Our team could definitely improve on staying focused, one point at a time,” Carbonel said. “I feel that we can all get flustered in tight moments where we just need to let our bodies play and be present in the moment.”

Sampson said the team’s ability to adapt during games was a major key to their biggest wins. Going forward to next season, resiliency at an individual and collective level will be a major focus.

“Each player understood their role on the team and if that (role) changed, they were nothing but supportive of their teammates,” she said.

The Panthers were solid defensively all season. Sampson and Carbonel said the team needs to work on making offensive plays to close out games and keep their heads up throughout each match. 

“An area I feel as though we could improve on is our confidence as a whole,” Sampson said. “As a team, when there have been times where we have not been very successful it's because we felt discouraged during a match, causing us to drop sets. We have the ability to compete with any team in this conference.”

Carbonel, as a senior, said that her experiences off the court are what she will remember going forward.

“Our team dynamic is so unique, and we take high pride in that being the biggest factor in our success this year,” she said. “From day one of the season, we implement a family type of bond that is carried through the whole season and this bond sticks through the tough and great moments in the season.”

A strong sense of family and unity was a fundamental feature of the team, giving them a foundation to have a better season on the court next year.

The 2024 season for the Panthers marks the end of college volleyball for seniors like Carbonel, closing out a significant chapter of their lives. 

“It feels very bittersweet,” she said. “I am so excited for this new chapter in my life as just a student going into adulthood but heartbroken that I won't be playing this sport I love with my girls.” 

Despite the early loss in the SCIAC tournament, the team’s performance was a proud effort. Carbonel said that they never lacked effort throughout the season, and while the loss to Pomona-Pitzer was not the end goal, it didn’t make the season a failure.  

Chapman volleyball’s culture is about drive and determination, something this team pours onto each court they play on. Carbonel is proud of the team she played with throughout her collegiate experience, and even though the team fell short in the postseason, they look ahead to outperforming themselves in the coming seasons. With a strong focus on offensive improvement and strengthening team dynamics, the Panthers are looking to build on the successes of this year and are ready for the challenges next season will offer.