Off to a slow start, things just got a little better for the Camosun Chargers women’s volleyball team.

Thanks to a pair of wins on the weekend the team avoided going into the six week, mid-season break with an 0-7 record.

Instead, the 13 player roster that features nine freshman has a 2-5 record and some success to build on. “It’s a very young team,” says head coach Alison Hitesman. “The group is learning how to take away from each experience.”

Until Friday the women had yet to win a match when they swept the College of the Rockies in three straight sets, 25-20, 25-17 and 25-21.

Riding the momentum, the Chargers followed it up on Saturday when they battled to a five-set win over Selkirk 3-2, scoring 19-25, 25-10, 23-25, 25-22 and 15-13 in the tiebreaker. Both games were at home, their first wins in the gym of the multi-functional Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence at Camosun College’s Interurban Campus.

Power hitter Laura Ouillette was solid on the weekend with 15 kills and 16 digs against Selkirk, and seven kills, 18 digs against COTR. “We played well (against Selkirk) but we made some errors, they really dig up everything and put it on our side,” said Ouilette. “(It showed) when we really limited (our mistakes), winning 25-10.”

Saturday’s player of the game was Megan O’Neil. The middle hitter from Nanaimo had seven kills and two aces for the Chargers while setter Caitlin Weir’s 11 kills and three aces earned her POTG honours against COTR.

Ouilette and Weir are a testament to how young the team is are the team’s two third year players who head the leadership role.

Hitesman says the club’s recent success is a sign of the group maturing on the floor. She also added that while the group is improving as a whole, no player has shown more growth than first-year libero Stephanie Fulcher, says Hitesman.

The rookie out of Belmont high school is running the court as the defensive specialist who wears the odd-coloured jersey.

Fulcher has shown significant growth and improvement, says Hitesman. “Normally a starting libero grows into the role over two or three seasons.

“It’s really great to see her improve.”

With nine new faces already on the squad, it won’t be long before the memories of playing home games at St. Margaret’s will be erased.

Ouilette believes that, albeit it on a smaller scale, the effect of the playing out of a permanent home at PISE has even led to an improvement in the team’s play. “It’s so nice to have our own gym,” Ouilette explained. “It makes us feel like a real team, it makes a huge difference.”

The Chargers women are back at it in early January when they host a tournament.

sports@vicnews.com