By Joe Groglio

staff reporter

The 2006 season got off to a rough start last week for the Villanova volleyball team, but some flashes of brilliance gave hope toward improvement and building a successful year. In the first match of the Long Beach State Tournament, ‘Nova fell 3-2 to Cal State Fullerton in a tough battle. Senior Adrian Semrau paced the ‘Cats with 19 kills, and sophomore Alona Cherkez put in a solid effort with 15 kills and 17 digs. This game marked Cherkez’s 15th career double-double. Kacy Sellers was also a key contributor with an all around solid game.

The next match-up was a true David vs. Goliath scenario as the ‘Cats faced powerhouse Missouri, who is ranked thirteenth in the country. Again the ‘Cats fought hard, but it was not enough to avoid a 3-0 loss. Cherkez once again led the charge with another double-double, 10 kills and 15 digs. Selllers, Semrau and sophomore Dana Tartazky also finished with double digits kills.

The final match of the tournament saw Villanova end up on the losing side of a 3-0 loss, this time to host Long Beach State. Cherkez once again was the star with 20 kills to lead all scorers. No other Wildcat reached double figures in kills, although Tartazky coming the closest with nine.

Next up for the team is the Michigan State tournament, where they will once again square off against some of the nation’s top teams. If the ‘Cats can continue to steadily improve, they should be able to compete with many teams.