The Fort Lewis volleyball team has been on an upward trajectory for the last four years. In 2020, Skyhawks head coach Giedre Tarnauskaite took over a program that hadn’t had a winning season since 2010.
After a 2023 season where the Skyhawks finished 13-13 overall, FLC volleyball is ready to take another step and reach Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament play.
“We're ready to compete,” Tarnauskaite said. “There's definitely a lot of excitement in there. We feel prepared. The team looks really good from practice … We've been working on ironing some details and the players really took ownership of the process and it's exciting to see that. That comes with a little bit having more experience on the court, being a little bit of an older team and having a lot of returners. They know what to expect and what we need to do to prepare.”
The Skyhawks return six of their top seven players in sets played last year. Senior outside hitter Alexis Hobie is back after leading the team in kills. Junior middle backer Ella Butler returns after finishing second on the team in kills. Right side Lauren Shea is back for her fifth year along with fifth-year outside hitter JJ Curry. Setter Natalia Lambos is also back for her senior year.
Sarah Wilkey is gone after leading the team in sets played. Chay Swenson battled injuries last year and graduated but is not gone from the program. She is Tarnauskaite’s newest assistant coach.
Tarnauskaite wants her team to be a tough serving team. She said it’s something they can control and it worked well for the Skyhawks last year.
“Some teams have a signature,” Tarnauskaite said. “We're hard to define because the way I train the team is to see the areas where we need work in and to realize that that's what our opponents going to be looking at … At the very beginning of our first meeting, I said, this is going to be all about mental training and preparedness for the season. I've talked to the team about that in every practice, every scrimmage, every play. They're used to hearing that we have to be mentally prepared … the skill is there. We need to make sure that just because we may or may not be getting an outcome that we want at that time, the game is not over.”
Mental preparation not only comes from the coaches but also from experienced players leading the team. Tarnauskaite called Lambos her quarterback. Lambos has started since her freshman year and hasn’t taken a day off since she got to FLC. She’s been a reflection of what Tarnauskaite wants her players to be like.
Tarnauskaite said Shea has made a big leap going into her fifth year. Tarnauskaite thinks she’s playing with more joy and less pressure knowing this is her final year so she’s going to enjoy it.
One question mark for the Skyhawks is the libero position. Wilkey played libero for the team last year but now that she’s gone, Emery Pomroy is stepping into the position. Pomroy isn’t a typical college athlete. She came to FLC as a student last year and wasn’t on the team. This year, she decided to try out for the Skyhawks and impressed Tarnauskaite.
“I'm glad to have her,” Tarnauskaite said. “She has amazing instincts. It's one of those things that you for in players and is hard to see, but is what every coach wants. She has great volleyball court lead ability and she uses that really well without even realizing what a strength it is for her. She's very well composed in a court as well. So she brings this calmness yet competitive energy.”
A position that isn’t a question mark is outside hitter. Sophomore Jordan DeJesus didn’t play a lot last year but has incredible athletic ability and can touch 10 feet, according to Tarnauskaite. Curry and Hobie provide great experience and ability.
After last season’s 13-13 season, Tarnauskaite wanted to improve the team’s ball handling. She thinks this team has the best ball handling of any team she’s had at FLC.
Unfortunately, Skyhawks fans won’t see a home game until Sept. 27. FLC starts on the road with two tournaments.
Speaking of tournaments, the Skyhawks have been very close to returning to the RMAC tournament the last few years but either were a game short or lost out due to tiebreakers. Tarnuaskaite doesn’t want any doubt this year.
“I want us to make sure that we don't just squeak by into the tournament, that we actually win our way in all the way,” Tarnauskaite said. “The next step would be the NCAAs but I'm trying to take just one step at a time, be realistic, be competitive and who knows?”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
