The Bellevue College volleyball team hopes to build on last season’s 23 victories by remembering one loss.
The Bulldogs, runners-up in the NWAC North Region last year during the regular season, finished seventh at the conference championship tournament with a misleading 2-2 mark. BC’s losses in the tournament were to the two teams that advanced to the title match, including a first-round loss to Blue Mountain, which won its fourth straight title.
In the match against Blue Mountain, Bellevue won the first two games by identical 25-22 scores, before Blue Mountain rallied to win the next three 25-23, 25-22 and 15-11. The Bulldogs also won the first match before losing the next two against Clark, which eventually lost to Blue Mountain in the final.
“We were 2-2 at NWAC and our two losses were the two teams in the championship,” said Jocelyn Lawrence, entering her third season as BC head coach. “We had Blue Mountain down 2-0 and they just figured out a way to get us back on our heels. So, it was a disappointing seventh.”
But Lawrence said her four returning sophomores used that as motivation and are carrying that over to the new crop of freshmen and one sophomore transfer.
“They were all very eager to be in gym during the off-season because they knew how close they were,” Lawrence said. “This year, different than what we’ve had in the past, is they’re all ready to challenge each other and push each other as teammates, and not afraid to make people stay accountable.”
This year’s team progressed rapidly during the preseason, Lawrence said.
“Our starting point is ahead of where I expected to be,” she said. “In week one, we’re being able to throw things at them that don’t usually come to week two or three, so that’s encouraging.”
The rapid growth was evident in the Bulldogs’ season-opening weekend when they went 6-0 at the NWAC Fall Festival at Springfield, Ore. on Aug. 27-28. BC opens its home schedule on Thursday, Sept. 1 with a pair of matches against Grays Harbor (3 p.m.) and Spokane (7 p.m.).
The Bulldogs returning sophomores include middle blocker Audrey Saelens, named first-team all-North Region last season. Other returnees include outside hitter Shea O’Brien, defensive specialist Kathleen Bui and middle blocker/opposite hitter Alexis LeClech. Sophomore Kendle Valade-Nunez is a transfer from Pacific Lutheran. Lawrence also is high on the eight freshmen on the roster.
“Our sophomores last year bought in … they started the change, but they didn’t have the time left here,” Lawrence said. “They helped us. They bought in real hard last year to get the freshmen, who now are returning as sophomores, to know our expectations and know what we want.”
Lawrence said last season’s success, as well as the disappointment have combined to help this season’s squad come together quickly and focus on its goal.
“This is a very championship mind-setted team, which is something like I feel we had to try to instill in the past, and this year they’re there,” Lawrence said. “They want to win, they want to challenge each other, so they’re going to be a fun group to watch. As coaches, we have a lot of options as to what we can do, which is encouraging, and able to make all 13 of these players part of what we do.”
Last Updated December 7, 2020
