Jason Walker, UP Sports Information Director
Great Falls, Mont., September 1, 2022 – With seven matches under their belts, the University of Providence volleyball team expects to see more improvement and impressive results this weekend as the Argos head south to compete at the Phoenix Tournament. Providence (1-6) will face three quality opponents in Benedictine University at Mesa, Park Gilbert University (Ariz.) as well as Arizona Christian over the Labor Day weekend.
The Argos went 1-2 at its own Electric City Invite last weekend, but the coaching staff saw a vast improvement from week one to week two. Head coach Arunas Duda says it comes down to basics, "They are young, they are energetic, but they don't know what they don't know. They are passionate about what they are doing, and we are getting better day by day, but it's going to take a little while to get that chemistry and feel back on the court."
Better play on the court, despite a 3-1 loss to then second ranked Jamestown showed the team they can compete. "We played our best volleyball against Jamestown," says Duda, "I am excited about what the future holds for this group, because they keep getting better and better and don't want to settle for anything less than another championship."
None of the teams that the Argos will face this weekend are ranked, with just Park Gilbert receiving votes after Providence fell from preseason number 10, to out of the top 25 in the latest NAIA Coaches Poll.
"I think this last week after some having some more practice, having some time to reset a little bit changed our mindset," says Duda. "We have taken some good strides forward. Playing after just eight days of practice was difficult, now we are in a much better place. If we could go back and play some of those same teams again, there may be a little different outcomes."
Providence opens in the heat of Arizona Friday at 6 pm MDT against Benedictine Mesa, followed by a match against Park Gilbert Saturday at 11 am MDT before wrapping up the tournament Monday with Arizona Christian also at 11 am MDT. All matches will stream at www.upargos.com.
