After starting the season with a record of 2-5, the women’s volleyball team has seemingly turned a corner, winning two straight and five of their last six matches.

During that stretch, the Renegades have averaged a superb 41.5 kills, 40 assists, and 40 digs. These numbers have been in stark contrast to the previous streak of five consecutive losses, during which the team averaged 31 kills, 30 assists, and 51.2 digs.

Noting improvement in nearly every statistical category, coach Carl Ferreira stated, “We serve better, we pass better, we attack better, we set better, we defend better, our errors have gone down, and our kills have gone up.”

These improvements have led to the Renegades outscoring their opponents 429-292, and an overall record of 7-6 so far this season.

The Renegades were able to turn their season around following their five loss rough patch earlier this month. “We can’t hang our hats on wins or losses, we focus on the process,” stated Ferreira, who also said he has learned to have intentional amnesia about the past.

With the past behind them, the team has their sights set on a deep playoff run, with the ultimate goal of a conference championship.

This endeavor can only be accomplished piece-by-piece, using victories as a reward for their hard work.

Another dynamic to the Renegades efforts of a conference championship has been the emergence and development of the freshmen players under the guidance of sophomore veterans.At the beginning of the season, Ferreira essentially paired off his players, assigning every returning player a freshman counterpart.

Through this mentorship, returning players such as Mackenzie Hernandez and Hannah Pope have demonstrated their ability to play multiple facets of the game.

Sophomore Mackenzie Hernandez has been especially versatile for the Renegades, leading the team in assists per set, second in digs per set, and seventh in kills per set. The sophomore has averaged 5.60 assists, 2.17 digs, and 1.57 kills per set this season.

Despite the team’s recent success, Ferreira feels the team is still looking for a significant win against a higher ranked opponent.

Ferreira believes their next opportunity to achieve this is at Pierce College as part of the Pierce 7th Invitational, taking place Sept. 23-24th.