By Christian Vieyra (@thecvieyra) – Spear Reporter
SJSU women’s volleyball head coach Todd Kress coaches from the sideline in a 3-0 loss to UNLV Thursday. | Photo by Titus Wilkinson
SJSU women’s volleyball was swept once again, losing to UNLV today in its second-to-last home game of the season.
The losing streak has extended to six, tying the losing streak from earlier this season. The Spartans have now been swept 11 times this season.
SJSU has also not won a set in 10 sets, dating back to the third set of the Nov. 4 match against Wyoming.
“I think we really need to improve our standard and I have had multiple conversations with our head coach about it,” SJSU senior Jiana Lawson said. “I think there needs to be a little more give from the head coach in terms of setting that standard.”
The Spartans got off to a hot start in the first set of the match, leading 17-11 at one point.
After a Rebels timeout momentum shifted and the Spartans made four consecutive errors. UNLV would go on to win that first set 25-21.
“We just had a little bit of struggle responding to pushback,” Lawson said.
Cammillucci’s return
Spartans’ senior Letizia Cammillucci goes up for a block in a 3-0 loss to UNLV Thursday at the Spartan Gym. | Photo by Titus Wilkinson
SJSU’s senior Letizia Cammillucci returned from her ankle sprain on Oct. 26 when she landed on Lawson’s foot.
She led the Spartans with 11 total kills and a .429 hit percentage.
Her ankle is still far from 100% according to head coach Todd Kress. “She’s out there playing on one ankle,” Kress said. “It’s a pretty severe ankle sprain, we still don’t even know if there could be a hairline fracture in there.”
Lawson was not surprised by Cammillucci’s effort. “That’s just what she does,” she said. “She’s one of those lead-by-example players.”
Cammillucci is expected to play Thursday for senior night.
“I thought it really showed what a selfless approach is as a student-athlete and as a teammate,” Kress said.
Senior night approaches
The Spartan’s final chance to snap the streak will come on Thursday against San Diego State at 6 p.m. in the Spartan Gym.
Before the game, SJSU will honor four seniors who will be playing the final game of their Spartan careers, including Lawson, Cammillucci, Lauren Conroy, and Yazmin Pitpit.
“These seniors, maybe more than any seniors for the last 20 years in the history of this program have taken this program to a different level and really raised the expectation of San Jose State volleyball,” Kress said.
“Last year they were super close to winning a conference championship,” he said. “If nothing else, I would love for us to win Thursday night.”