A win is not given, it’s earned: a Torero tradition

As volleyball nears NCAA tournament, a closer look at their culture of winning

JAREK MORGAN / ASST. SPORTS EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

Any coach can claim that they know how to win, or that they know how to get the best out of their players. Any coach can brag about their resume with conference championships, national titles, All-American players, and the like. But it takes a better coach than most to create a perpetually winning atmosphere surrounding a program. 

To say that USD volleyball has a culture of winning under the tutelage of head coach Jennifer Petrie and staff would be an understatement. 

The accolades for Petrie and her crew continue to grow with each passing year. Her 427-155 overall record emphasizes a Torero program that has 11 straight NCAA tournament appearances and has advanced to four Sweet 16 matchups, most recently in 2018. Petrie was named “West Coast Conference  (WCC) Coach of the Year” six times (2004, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, and 2019), and was named “Pacific South Region Coach of the Year” by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) in 2013 and 2017. 

According to Petrie, this year’s team is continuing to build on that culture of success that has come before them. 

“My job is easy because these girls all hold themselves accountable,” Petrie said. “This year especially, I see no one on this team believes they are better than the other. From seniors to freshmen, all are treated equally.” 

Petrie’s guidance produced a steady stream of athletic and academic achievements for her athletes. In Petrie’s 23 years as head coach at USD, the Toreros have dominated the WCC postseason awards, including: nine “Players of the Year,” four “Defenders of the Year,” one “Setter of the Year,” nine “Freshmen of the Year,” and 51 All-WCC first team members.

A lot goes into sustaining a winning program year in and year out, and this season is no different. Currently ranked no. 20 in the AVCA polls, with a record of 17-4, this team is pushing themselves harder than ever before. 

The conditioning program that takes place every summer during the preseason helped this team reach an elite level of play. It can also make the difference in winning matches when it’s late in the fifth set and both teams are exhausted and looking for an edge to push through. This proved true most recently when the Toreros stormed back to beat Loyola Marymount University after going down two sets. The Toreros showed true grit, winning the final three sets to defeat the Lions on Oct. 16. 

Petrie mentioned that this year’s team is more self-sufficient, requiring less on-hands coaching and direction. This culture is proof that Petrie is in-tune with the heart of what makes a team successful, and this has been the hallmark of her leadership and the Toreros’ sustained success. 

This portion of the season is best described as “crunch time,” a place that the Toreros have become very accustomed to. This familiarity provides a sense of comfort that coach Petrie and her staff leverage to encourage their team to believe in themselves. 

“We are preparing to finish stronger than ever,” Petrie said. “Our goal is to continue to get better each day, and I’m happy to see our success. At the end of the year you really have to focus so that you can have that momentum heading into your final regular season games and hopefully preparing for the tournament.” 

With only six regular season matches remaining, the team is looking to gain momentum heading into the postseason, with an opportunity for revenge in their final game against Brigham Young University on Nov. 23 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion. The Cougars took down the Toreros in straight sets three weeks ago, so victory would be sweet to cap another stellar season. 

There’s a reason that certain teams in certain sports are traditional powerhouses. They all have something in common: a “culture of excellence.” The New England Patriots, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, to name just a few, are all teams that also famously leveraged such a culture. They all have it. They all expect to win day in and day out. They work hard, they take pride in what they do, and they are never satisfied with where they’re at. Those attributes lead to a culture of excellence. This is something that the USD volleyball program embodies and is the root of why their success is so consistent, showing no signs of slowing down in the future, particularly under the guidance of coach Petrie.

The Toreros will be back on the court Nov. 11 against Loyola Marymount University where they look to improve on their quest to bring a title to the trophy room in the JCP.