The Washington and Lee volleyball team will look to carry the momentum from a recent hot streak into the tough competition over the next week.

Success has been coming easy for the team lately, however, and a late season conference win streak could propel it to yet another ODAC title this year.

After encountering a bit of a dry run, during which the they went 2-6 through eight games, the Generals went off on a six game winning streak beginning in mid-October, conceding a mere two sets in that time.

These wins also included dominating performances over ODAC opponents Bridgewater and Eastern Mennonite. The team was not surprised to find late season success as difficulties experienced earlier in the season hardly showcased its abilities.

“Earlier in the season we played a lot of tough games, so we had a lot of tough losses,” Captain Kasey Cannon, ‘16, said. “We played a lot of teams that were ranked top-ten in the nation, so that’s why our record didn’t look so hot, even though we were still playing pretty well.”

This unforgiving early-season schedule would ultimately contribute to the Generals’ late-season success.

“As we came up in conference play later in the season we were very well-prepared because we had been playing such good teams outside of our conference,” Cannon said.

The Generals’ game plan also took some time to iron out entirely, contributing to early-season troubles.

“We got a little more consistent with our lineup,” Head Coach Bryan Snyder said. “We’ve really tried a lot of different combinations earlier in the year and I think we finally settled on a group that we felt gave us the best opportunity to win.”

With a 9-2 record in ODAC play, the team looks to be sitting in a good position. But a 3-1 loss to ODAC rival Randolph-Macon on Oct. 28 will keep W&L out of the top spot in the conference going into ODACs next week. The loss ended the team’s dominent win streak but, according to Snyder, is more of a learning experience than a disappointment

After dropping their final three games of the season to non-conference opponents, including number one ranked Juniata College, the Generals are looking to rebound when the ODAC tournament starts on Nov. 4. None of those losses affect their ODAC standing.

“We try not to dwell on losses or get too excited about wins,” Snyder said. “We try to take every match, whatever the result, and learn from it and move on to the next match.”

The Generals are currently in position to win the ODAC for a fourth consecutive year, potentially making their current seniors conference champs in every year of their collegiate careers.

“We’re definitely good enough to win,” Cannon said. “We all want it more than ever, to win it all four years.”