Learning experience for Corsairs in loss to College of the Canyons

It’s always important to look at the positives in life, even when things seem bleak. Positive thinking can propel one out of a tough slump.That is what the Santa Monica College women’s volleyball team is going to have to do after a tough loss to College of the Canyons last Friday. The Corsairs lost in three consecutive sets to an impressive Cougars team. The Corsairs trailed much of the match, which was a complete turnaround from their previous game against Glendale.. Santa Monica College pulled off an impressive victory against Glendale on Wednesday, by winning 3 sets to 1. Coach Nicole Ryan believes that the team might have gotten too comfortable after the win. Ryan also stated that Canyons’ offense was a lot different than what SMC is used to seeing. The Corsairs came out of the gate slow, allowing the Cougars to score very quickly in the first set. In the second set, it seemed that SMC was the aggressor by scoring the first two points. However, the Cougars regrouped and went on to victory. “The more the girls play with each other, the more comfortable they get, and they’re starting to figure out how to play as a team,” Ryan explained. Even though SMC did not win, Ryan believes that the offense is getting better, and the loss is a learning experience for the future. She also believes that SMC has a shot against every team they play. “This is definitely a learning experience; you learn from your mistakes,” outside hitter Hannah Pope said. “We had small mistakes that we made, and little errors that we will focus on fixing in practice.” This was SMC’s first loss in their conference, and they are now one and a half games out of first place in the Western State South conference behind Canyons and LA Pierce. As the team continues to play together, the chemistry will grow, and SMC can be a formidable team. “We need a fiery leader on the court,” Ryan said. “The more and more we play together, we’ll figure out who that will be.” Even with a tough loss, SMC is thinking of the positives that came out of the game instead of dwelling on the defeat. The Corsairs look to find a ‘fiery leader’ on Wednesday at home against West LA at 7 p.m.