A collage of regional volleyball teams will clash inside the Max Ziel gym this weekend as the Oswego State Lakers volleyball team plays host to a two-day tournament.

Coaches from Alfred University, Clarkson, and Utica, and the hosts Oswego, are viewing these games as a big tune-up, just days before conference play starts up. 

While they want to win these games overall, the main goal conveyed by many was to get their teams comfortable in their respective systems, as well as to build mental strength and team chemistry.

CLARKSON

There is no doubt that early on in the non-conference schedule, the Golden Knights have a target on their back. They come into this tournament at an impressive 6-2, but if we narrow down their record results a bit, they’ve swept their fives times and both of their losses have come in full sets.

“My team is very focused and driven,” head coach Carol LeMarche said “They want to do well and will put in the extra work to do so.”

While LaMarche knows her team is talented and ahead of the curve early on in the season but knows this weekend is all about improvement.

“We want to keep improving every weekend,” LaMarche said. “We’re not so focused on our win/loss record right now, we are looking for areas that need improvement and then addressing them.”

The Golden Knights return a solid core including sophomore outside hitter Conley Burns, who has 92 kills on the campaing thus far as well as senior OH/MH Ainslie Reimer, who has 72 kills.

But outside the stars on the team, LaMarche still loves the teams depth.

“We are a fairly balanced team this year, across the front row and backrow,” the coach said. “No one player is caring the team.”

ALFRED UNIVERSITY

The first team the Lakers will face in the tournament is Alfred University. The Saxons are 3-6 and come into the matchup riding a three-game losing streak, but they’ve faced some tough competition early in the season.

But the Saxons feel this is the final opportunity to turn up the temperature while getting used to intensity physically and mentally.

“Typically, it’s we’re doing this to prepare ourselves for our tough conference matches,” head coach Mike Honeycutt said. “So the better tournament I can get us in, the better prepared we’re going to be for when it comes to conference time.”

With Empire 8 play still ahead, Alfred is also looking to use the tournament to establish consistency within its lineup, which Mike Honeycutt says has gone through some early season injuries and illness.

“I’d really like to see us kind of solidify a lineup that we’re going to be able to use moving forward,” the Honeycutt said.

While the Saxons are still searching for that consistency and chemistry, he believes who ever he sends out will give it their all.

“We compete hard,” the coach said. “We are very much a family together. And so we compete for each other, and there’s no individuals on our team.”

UTICA UNIVERSITY

Last but not least is Utica University, the Pioneers come in a similar situation as Alfred University, 2-8 on the season but still looking to improve before conference play.

“When we look for tournaments early in the year, we aren’t quite looking for wins or anything to boost our record,”  Utica assistant coach Ryan Everding said. “We are looking for the best competition that we can find in the area.”

“We gotta strengthen our mentality, we get the kinks out of some of our system, make sure the offense is flowing well and make sure our communication is there,” the assistant coach said.

“I think having fun is an important emphasis for our team,” the assistant coach said.

OSWEGO STATE

The Lakers come into this tournament fresh off of their first victory of the season last weekend, a 3-2 defeat of Skidmore. Before ending yesterday 1-1, head coach Jon Stenman emphasizes starting plays the right way on his home court.

“Service ace is definitely something we’re gonna work on all week,” Stenman said. “We didn’t have the greatest serves against any of the teams [in the Skidmore invite], yet we found a way to hit decently, so we’re gonna work a lot on serving and hopefully that’s gonna make our offense run better.”

Returning home, Stenman says his approach does not change. 

“We try to compartmentalize each match,” Stenman said. “We try to do the same things, prepare the same way every time we’re at home or on the road.”

Stenman and the Lakers will take the court twice today, with their first matchup against Bard College at 10 a.m., before they take on Utica University at 6 p.m.

“I think it’s also really fun to go into the home host tournament and out-energy them and beat the Goliath in their own town,” assistant coach Ryan Everding said.