Tigers prepare for Texas tournament

By Sam Wilson

Published Sept. 7, 2007

Sophomore setter Lei Wang said she has something she wants to improve on before her team's matches this weekend, but it's not something related to the X's and O's of volleyball.

"It is important for me to stay on the court and smile all the time," she said. Wang said she did not have any facial expression during the team's five game loss on Sunday to Florida International, and she needs to be more relaxed.

The team opens a three-game tournament today at Texas State in San Marcos, Texas. Today's opponents are Cal State Fullerton and Houston, and the Tigers will take on the host on Saturday.

Coach Wayne Kreklow said these are solid opponents, but he acknowledged that his team is the favorite, a position he said his team could improve on.

"As a learning experience for our team, I think this will be a good thing," he said. "To go down there as one of the favorites, as maybe the favorite, because we've got to learn how to be able to function like that."

Senior libero Tatum Ailes said the team has learned lessons about this.

"We all know now that everywhere you go is not going to be an easy win," she said. "You need to be better prepared, and when you have people down 2-0, you need to finish them off."

On Sunday, the Tigers had no trouble with FIU in the first two games, winning 30-18 and 30-22. But FIU was able to score the first five points in each of the next three games and won the match 18-30, 22-30, 30-24, 30-27, 18-16.

Sophomore middle blocker Amanda Hantouli said the team let down mentally after the second game.

"It's just a mindset thing," she said. "We just didn't go in with the mindset we had the first two games. I think that it's a good learning tool."

Ailes said that if the Tigers take the first two games from an opponent this weekend, the attitude will be different during the break.

"I think we won't be joking around in the locker room again," she said. "I think that we know how bad it hurts, and we're going to remember the feeling after game five, walking in the locker room pissed at ourselves."

Although avoiding a third-game letdown is mental, Kreklow said his team can work on it in practice by having the team play in mock match situations.

"Our job is to come up with ways that we can put players in those stressful situations and to force them to have to deal with that kind of stuff in practice," Kreklow said.

Wang said she expects to see an improved team this weekend.

"We learned lessons, and we know that we should be prepared more," she said. "I think we have the skills."