Volleyball hosts tournament, beats Navy
Chris Ford
/Reporter
Elon volleyball is looking ahead to the rest of the season
after earning their first victory in the final game of the
Phoenix Classic this past Saturday.
After falling to both Texas Christian University and the
University of Alabama-Birmingham, the Phoenix defeated the
Naval Academy in five sets to post their first win.
The Phoenix took the first two sets before falling to the
Midshipmen of Navy in the third and fourth games. Elon
rallied to beat Navy in the final game.
The team believes they greatly improved during the
tournament and is very excited about the remainder of the
season.
“The players got much better and more competitive
during the tournament,” Head Coach Mary Tendler said.
“We came across many things we had not encountered yet,
and every time you do that, you get better and
better.”
The Phoenix and the three other teams played games spanning
both Friday and Saturday. Although Elon won the final game,
they finished the tournament with a record of 1-2 and the TCU
Horned Frogs were crowned champions.
Despite this, the team believes the tournament was a good
experience.
“We had a rough start in the beginning, but I think we
played really well,” said sophomore Jessica Barrow, who
led the Phoenix in their final match with 17 kills and 10
digs. “It’s still early in the season, but
it’s exciting to see how well we are
doing.”
Following the tournament, Barrow was named to the
All-Tournament team. “It’s great to be back with
the whole team supporting me,” she said.
The Phoenix was also led by defensive specialist Brooke
Pickard, who recorded 21 digs.
The Phoenix cites their improvement in communication as a
key to success for the rest of the season.
“Overall, our communication has improved a lot, and
that can make or break a game,” Barrow said. “We
are also a very close team, on and off the
court.”
Coach Tendler was happy with the tournament overall,
believing the victory over Navy gave the team some
much-needed confidence. She is also convinced that having the
tournament at home was a great asset to the team.
“It’s a combined effort to host a tournament,
but it’s definitely worth it; it’s nice to face
some teams from different areas.” Tendler said.
The Phoenix look to put their improvements into action when
they travel to DeLand, Fla., to face New Orleans.
Contact Chris Ford at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247. | 
