“Where we are in the Horizon League, usually at the top, we’re going to get the other team’s best shot anyway. That’s what we want,” Green said.
“We want to be challenged that second day. If there’s some weakness another team feels they can attack, it’s just going to make us shore those things up a little bit better.”
In their league opener, the Raiders beat lowly IU Indy on the road in Friday’s game and then lost the first two sets the following day. But they rallied to win the last three sets for a 3-2 victory.
They faced league contender Milwaukee on the road last weekend and suffered their first conference loss on Friday, 3-2. The Panthers won the fifth set, 17-15.
In the rematch, Wright State showed its mettle, pulling out a 3-2 win by taking the last set 15-13.
“We talked during the match Saturday — and even after we lost Friday — about things we could do better. And one of the biggest things was trying to play every point like it was our last,” the third-year coach said.
“I was really proud of our team, how hard they played. We weren’t playing our best volleyball in terms of executing and being clean in different areas. But our effort — we definitely out-worked them on Saturday for sure.”
The Raiders, who are 16-4 overall, have reached the midway point of the conference season at 8-1 and have a one-game lead over Milwaukee (12-9, 7-2).
They host third-place Green Bay (9-12, 6-3) at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Each team has a designated rival, and those two play a midweek game. The Raiders have a home win over Northern Kentucky and visit the Norse on Tuesday.
“Like probably any coach in the country right now, I like how we’ve performed at times, but there’s certainly a lot more room growth for our team,” Green said.
The Raiders have won four regular-season titles and made four NCAA tourney trips in the last five years. And they have another talent-rich roster.
UConn transfer Mya Ayro and fifth-year player Sam Ott are among the HL leaders in digs with 3.54 and 3.43 per set, respectively.
Senior Jenny Wessling is fifth in digs at 4.79.
The early favorite for most indispensible player, though, is setter Lauren Yacobucci (pronounced (YOK-uh-BOO-chee).
The sophomore from the Avon Lake, Ohio, leads the nation in assists per set at 11.75. She has a healthy lead over the players with the next-highest averages, Logan Case of Western Michigan (11.34) and Camryn Turner of Kansas (11.33).
“Lauren has done a fantastic job. She made a massive commitment over the summer to prepare herself for the season. She certainly is reaping the benefits from that dedication,” said Green, who credits assistant Kennedy Fabian for much of Yacobucci’s development.
Expert setting has always been a key to the Raiders’ success. Katie Meyer had a 10.31 average last year and was the league tourney MVP, and Lainey Stephenson was a two-time HL setter of the year, averaging 10.66 in 2022 and 9.91 in ‘21.
“Lauren is giving our attackers an advantage, finding them in one-on-one situations,” Green said.
“She has a huge role because leadership is critical. She’s the one orchestrating everything. She’s the quarterback.”
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