Spring Break
Progress shown during 2007
Although consistent play was missing at times, OSU volleyball moved up in tough conference
Casey Grogan
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Sports
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Throughout the season, head coach Taras Liskevych compared the team to a car not running on all its cylinders. The Beavers (10-20 overall, 3-15 Pac-10) were going with pistons pumping as they battled No. 6 Washington last week in a match described by Liskevych as the best he has seen in his three years traveling to Seattle. The wheels fell off the wagon as Oregon State traveled east to Pullman, and were squeaked out by WSU.
Last season, the Beavers were winless in Pac-10 play, and the young squad was prepared to put those woes behind them for the new campaign. Starting the season, it appeared that this squad was truly a new Oregon State volleyball team taking the court when they knocked off now-No. 21 Colorado State at a tournament in Hawaii.
"I would say our very first game against Colorado State was our best match," senior Kristin Murray said. "That game we were the most competitive and playing as a team."
As their Hawaiian adventure continued, the Beavers snatched up one of their biggest wins in recent years as they swept then-No. 10 Hawaii at home. After a hiccup in a tournament in Idaho, OSU traveled to Sacramento State for their third tournament.
In an arena known as the Hornet's Nest due to the hostile environment, Oregon State walked through the three-game tournament, losing only three games on their way to a four-match win streak. The women lost two heartbreakers at the ASIC Invitational just prior to opening Pac-10 play.
"Early we had some great wins," Liskevych said. "We may have gotten some big expectations. If we picked up those two matches in Idaho, and the two against Loyola and Pacific, we may have had a shot at the NCAA tournament. That was a key point in the season, and could have built momentum to more Pac-10 wins."
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