
SJSU's Jaena Bell (left) goes up to the net against Broncos Teagan Wilson (right) at Spartan beach on Saturday.
San José State women’s beach volleyball team took on Bay Area rivals, Santa Clara University and University of San Francisco on Friday, splitting their matchups in a grueling day of competition at Spartan Beach.
SJSU secured a 3-2 win against USF in the morning before falling 4-1 to Santa Clara in the afternoon contest.
In the Spartans’ matchup against Santa Clara, the Broncos tested the team’s resilience and adaptability in their game plans, particularly service targeting.
Spartan Shirley Morrison played alongside Elon Milroy to secure SJSU’s only win 21-14, 21-17, 15-11 against Santa Clara.
“I think our biggest challenge against Santa Clara was when they switched their service target to me … Not super used to getting targeted today, but they switched it over to me and I was struggling a little bit to find the open spot,” Morrison said.
Morrison credited her win to her teammates and the coaching staff’s guidance.
“(Milroy) helped me with the really good setting and my coach helped me and told me what was open, and as long as I could just settle down and kind of take each point and each one for what it was, then I was able to find it,” Morrison said.
Despite pushing several matches to third sets, the Spartans struggled to close out late-game opportunities.
Against Santa Clara, SJSU’s Kylee Moore and Jaena Bell returned from their loss in the first set in a battle but fell, 24-22, 21-19, 16-14.
SJSU head coach Gary Hodge praised the team’s ability and strength to adjust on the fly, especially against two separate team rosters.
“Our biggest strength was our ability to adjust,” Hodge said. “Two different opponents and five different teams. We had to have 10 different game plans and our players’ ability and our coaching staff’s ability to have a game plan and then adjust it when we needed it to.”
According to SJSU Athletics, this is Hodge’s 16th season coaching volleyball in the Bay Area and facing local teams adds to the intensity.
“I came to San José from Saint Mary, I was in the West Coast Conference with those guys for five years. I know those teams, I feel very much a rivalry with them … it just fires us up,” Hodge said.
As the two matches persisted throughout the day, high-intensity rallies made it a hard match for SJSU’s Kiara Edwards and Addison DeMarse.
Edwards and DeMarse climbed back from their loss in the first set 21-16 but managed to bounce back in the second set with a score of 21-18.
The Spartans couldn’t keep up with the pressure on Santa Clara throughout the third set and eventually lost 15-13.
“I think the rivalry and being competitive is always a good thing, whether you win or lose. It’s a motivator,” Edwards said.
She and DeMarse kept the pressure on their opponents with their adaptive plans, but the Broncos’ late-game execution proved a difference.
Beyond the competition, Edwards acknowledged the team’s strong bond as a key factor in their performance.
“I think our biggest strength is staying connected and always cheering for each other whatever we’re playing or not,” Edwards said.
Morrison reinforced the significance of the Bay Area rivalry to the team.
Playing teams that are nearby we always wanna beat them because we all want to be the best in the Bay,” Morrison said.
Though the Spartans finished the day with a victory over the Dons and a defeat to the Broncos, their ability to adapt their strategies showcased their potential to look ahead to future matchups.
San José State’s next home game will be Senior Night against the University of the Pacific at Spartan Beach on Friday, April. 11.