By Ricardo Garcia (@SJSURicardoG) – Reporter
Grab your sunblock and bust out the shorts because it’s time for another season of San Jose State beach volleyball.
As the first game of the season rapidly approaches, let’s take some time to preview some of the most important details and changes for the upcoming season.
Familiar Struggles
The Spartans will enter the 2022 season in hopes of achieving a better outcome than the previous season where they only played 11 games and finished with a record of 4-7.
Perhaps the team’s biggest struggle came against nationally ranked teams as it failed to find the winning formula against ranked opponents on four separate occasions.
The number four seems to be an unlucky number for this team because that’s also the number of opponents showing up in preseason rankings it will face this season.
Despite a good start in the first couple of games of the season, the Spartans failed to match that same energy toward the end of the season. One of the biggest things to watch for will be whether this squad can remain consistent throughout the entire season.
Veteran Presence
This year’s team is very similar to last season with a couple of fresh new faces to replace graduating seniors. This season will be a very big opportunity for some of the veteran players to step up and take on leadership roles.
Many of the veteran players on the team are also part of the regular volleyball team which just had a phenomenal season so it’s no secret that they know how to win.
One notable player to look out for this season will be sophomore Mia Schafer. Schafer, who finished with 1,039 assists last season for volleyball, can add a spark to any offense with her ability to assist on offensive plays.
Senior Haylee Nelson returns to the sand court after playing arguably one of her best seasons of volleyball at SJSU leading her team in kills with 237 and service aces with 25. Nelson is a well-rounded player that is sure to be an X factor in the upcoming season.
Key Matchups
One of the biggest changes from last season will be the addition of nine more games on the schedule making it a 20-game season instead of only 11 like last season. With that being said, here are the matchups you might want to circle on the old calendar.
– Concordia University Irvine, Friday, Feb. 25-26 (Home opener)
The Spartans will be tasked with defending the homecourt early with this three-game stretch over two days. These matches could say a lot about how the season will go for SJSU and their chance to establish a good start to the season.
– @ UC Davis, Saturday, March 5 (doubleheader vs Cal and Davis)
This will be the first true test for the Spartans as they will face off against two very solid opponents. Based on how last season went, a win against either of these teams would make a defining statement.
– @ Sacramento, Saturday, April 9 (doubleheader vs Sac and Bosie)
To close out the season the Spartans will do battle against a familiar opponent in the Boise Broncos.
Anytime these two squads meet, you can expect to witness an electrifying match.