There is a sports adage that goes something like this: It’s not how you start the season that matters. It’s how you finish.
The San Diego Mojo Women’s Professional Volleyball team may just be the poster child for that saying. The Mojo went 0-3 in its first three matches, won zero (yes, zero) of their first nine sets, and started the season 1-5. That team is the same one that finished its regular season by winning 10 of its final 14 matches, a 71% win clip. “We’re not done,” said Coach Tayyiba Haneef-Park. “We’ve been writing a story all year long about triumph and resilience.”
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That team earned a third-place playoff seed and will begin its journey to try to become the first professional sports team in San Diego history to win a national championship. Wednesday’s semifinal playoff game will be held in Omaha versus the Omaha Supernovas at 6:30 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).
What is the outlook for tonight’s game?
Point One, Away Matches. The team has become a great away-match competitor, winning five of its final seven away matches. Haneef-Park and other players have commented that the team thrives from crowd energy, regardless of who the crowd is cheering to win. Count on the crowds to be loud this evening, especially because the match will be played in Omaha where the Supernovas play during the regular season. The Mojo went 2-2 versus the Supernovas. The first loss was February 3 when the team was still learning how to play together. The final two matches went five sets, and the Mojo won one of those.
Point Two, Blocking and Defense. Ali Bastianelli leads the league in blocks per set, and Bastianelli and Ronika Stone are fourth and sixth respectively in number of blocks on the season. The team’s blocking and defense are among the best in the league. Bastianelli also brings maturity to the game. “She helps us hold the huddle longer and make sure we stay calm in those tough moments,” said teammate Temi Thomas-Ailara. “She’s a really good on-the-court and off-the-court player.” Stone’s blocks and slides are known across the league. One unsung hero of the Mojo is Shara Venegas Medina who is tied for fourth in the league in digs. These players will be key to a Mojo victory this evening.
Point Three, Snubbed. None of the Mojo players were selected to the first-team league honors. Three players from the Atlanta Vibe, two from the Grand Rapids Rise, and two from the Omaha Supernovas were selected. All seven players come from the three teams that also made the playoffs. One of the best ways to respond to that lack of respect is to win.
Another reason that the team may not have received first-team honors is because it boasts a balanced attack that has helped the team cross the finish line in their matches. Rookie sensation Thomas-Ailara led the team in kills with 330, and nine players have kill percentages above 30%. The team recently made Willow Johnson available for matches. (Johnson’s father is Hall-of-Fame pitcher Randy Johnson). Johnson’s play earned her League Player-of-the-Week honors on April 30. Lindsey Vander Weide has been a consistently aggressive contributor and so earned the same honor on May 14.
Point Four, Setter. Great kills depend on great setting, and San Diego has two creative setters in Nootsara Tomkom and August Raske. Tomkom played almost all sets for the entire season. She was named the Pro Volleyball Federation Setter of the Year. Tomkom, a native of Bangkok, Thailand, has tallied 932 assists this season with an average of 10.59 per set, both the third-best marks in the league.
Playoff Game
Be sure to tune in tonight at 6:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network to watch the Mojo vs Supernovas. The winner plays May 18 in Omaha.
