The UEL Women’s Volleyball team swept Imperial College in a quick three sets on 22 October, securing their second win in as many games in the BUCS league with scores of 25-16, 25-12, and 25-10.
UEL took a lead early on but complacency set in. The three tube transfers turned a motivated journey into a sluggish one, heading towards Imperial’s South Kensington gym.
The tone was quickly set behind the service line by setter Emily Feller. Taking a zone signal from coach Jefferson Williams, Feller challenged the other team with a wicked jump float. She went on a service run that gathered momentum for the team to easily take the first set.
“When I get back to the service line, I know that my serve just has to go in the court to start the play,” Feller said after the game. “It is easier to serve more aggressively and start a run after getting comfortable, and that’s what I was able to do with Imperial.”
Feller joined the UEL squad from Montana State University Northern, where she completed her undergrad and four years of NAIA volleyball. In this time, she collected both Academic All-Conference and Daktronics Scholar Athlete awards from 2021-2023.
“The last two games we’ve played have given us the chance to work on our side of the net, figuring out the pace of the game and limiting team errors,” Feller added.
Imperial’s roster almost doubles UEL’s team of seven, with 13 women competing. Imperial’s captain Catalina Cruanas Paniker kept her team afloat on offense by barreling kills down the line and serving bullets over the net.
With this win under their belt, the team will now look to prepare for their next match against rivals Essex on 29 October. Ahead of the game, utility player and captain Claire Kellum spoke about setting the tempo early in the match and keeping emotions in check.
“ I think if we come out strong and establish all of our hitters, it’ll help free up everybody else,” she stated. “So once we do that, then we can run our own game as long as we stick to our own speed and everything.
“ We all just need to be a little accountable for ourselves in terms of how much intensity we can handle within a game.”
Kellum is no stranger to pressure, competing in not only the BUCS league for UEL but also with its partner club, the Malory Eagles. She earned 1st team All-Conference awards during her time at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, not to mention helped the team to a CIAA championship.
She brings leadership and experience to a very new team, which includes six international players. This in itself brings about challenges of chemistry and cohesion but Kellum is confident in the current roster.
“This year I think we’re a little bit more stable in our different positions and we run a good tempo, so we’ll be able to keep up better and then hopefully dominate the game,” said Kellum.
Composure and communication is just as important as physical skills on the court, especially in games that can be affected by high emotions, rowdy crowds, and performance pressures. Kellum tries to keep the energy light and fun, while also keeping the importance of intensity in mind.
“On big momentum points, I try to lock it down for everybody and make sure they know how serious that one singular point is, even though there’s 25 in a game,” UEL’s captain said.
The days until the game against Essex are the only thing going down as the UEL team is fired up to execute on their home court. University students and fans are welcome to attend as the matchup will take place in the UEL SportsDock at 4 pm. The team has prepared intensely and are looking to make a statement the second the ref’s whistle blows.
