By Danielle Ossher
Coming off a rough first week of the season, Lauren DeTurk helped lift the volleyball team to a 4-4 record, after tallying three straight wins.
In the four-game BC/NU Challenge this weekend, the Huskies went 3-1 with DeTurk recording a total of 50 kills earning her the Northeastern News Player of the Week honor.
On Thursday, the Huskies fell 3-0 to BC, where DeTurk had a team high 12 kills. In the team’s home opener at Solomon Court on Friday morning, DeTurk contributed five kills to beat Sacred Heart 3-0. That afternoon, she tallied 10 kills in a 3-0 victory against Holy Cross.
In their final game of the tournament, DeTurk contributed a team high 23 kills leading the Huskies to a third straight win.
“I really think it’s the chemistry we have right now,” DeTurk said. “We really work well together and that makes me more confident.”
With only one senior on the team this season, DeTurk is one of three juniors stepping into a leadership role. The whole team, especially the freshman class, has come together to make up for the lack of seniority, she said.
“We have the chemistry, which is really hard to get,” DeTurk said. “It is getting all the little things worked out that takes time, and I think by conference we’ll be really hard to beat.”
In the first four games of this season, DeTurk had 45 kills, including 20 kills in the season opener against Florida International. Looking forward, DeTurk said the most important thing is for the team is to continue to play as they have in their two strong games against FIU and UNH.
DeTurk’s main hope for the season is to win the Colonial Athletic Association Conference Championships, but beating the University of Delaware in their game in October is a close second.
“We are still waiting to have another good game,” DeTurk said. “Once we get another one, then I think we will be ready for conference championships.”
Despite a good statistical 2006 season, where DeTurk had 257 kills and eight double-doubles, she said it wasn’t the best she could play. After changing her major to biology from math and training harder in the off-season, DeTurk came into this season happier and more in shape than the year before.
DeTurk and the Huskies travel to Tennessee this weekend to participate in the Middle Tennessee Blue Raider Bash, consisting of three games. Going into the weekend, DeTurk is confident in her team.
“We are focusing on shutting down their top player, and not allowing one person to hurt us,” DeTurk said. “We did really well doing that against UNH, so that’s a good sign for this weekend.”
