A Spring Sports Preseason Update
written by Declan McJilton
As the fall sports season is coming to a close, we are looking ahead to the teams that compete during the spring. The teams spent this fall semester doing their off-season training to prepare for games ahead. We will be seeing Women’s Water Polo, Men’s Baseball, Softball, Beach Volleyball and Women’s/Men’s Tennis compete this spring.
The Women’s Water Polo team has been putting in a lot of hard work during their off-season training working both in and out of the pool to grow as a unit. The tigers even got to train with teams from New Zealand and Australia. Goalkeeper Clara Vulpisi, Political Science, 23’, is excited for the upcoming competition stating, “We have a relatively young & new team in the program currently, and I think it has been an opportunity to try out new tactics and ways to approach the game.” The Tigers have a tough schedule this year, facing off against some of the top teams in the country including Stanford and University of California. Come out to support the team for their home opener on March 19, where they will play the Michigan State Spartans.
Beach Volleyball will be in competition this spring as well. Working with a young team as well, the Tigers are looking for a strong season to develop. Athlete Jewel Turner, Business Administration and Finance, 24’, says “We are working with mostly a new team and would really love the support from everyone!” The team will host a home tournament on April 15 where they will play against UC Davis, Sacramento State and Santa Clara so make sure to mark it on your calendar and come support!
Men’s Tennis will be resuming matches on January 28 at the Eve Zimmerman Tennis Center against UC San Diego. The Tyges will have 10 home matches this spring, 5 that are important for conference. The Women’s Tennis team will be starting their competition play on January 20 at the Long Beach State Invite. The first home match will be on February 11 against school rival UC Davis.
Tiger Baseball will be starting back up in early spring after putting in a lot of hard work in the weight room and on the field. Outfielder Chase Graves, 24’ can’t wait to get back into competition stating, “I couldn’t be more happy with how hard we worked and how committed these guys are to winning.” A shout out to athletic weight coach Joe Sarcos who has been helping the Tigers prepare for their season in the weight room.
Softball will be returning to the Bill Simoni field as well when we return to school. “I think having such high standards for ourselves is what is going to set us apart come this spring,” coming from catcher Emma Dazell, HESP, 25’ who is aiming for a strong season for her and the team. On April 27, The Tigers will be hosting the Oregon Ducks here at Pacific where the team would love the support of as many people as possible!