On November 17, 2023, Bellarmine’s Girls Volleyball team made a well deserved appearance at the WIAA 4A Championship tournament. Carrying an overall 11-3 record this year, the team was able to compete in Yakima for a chance at the state title.
This marks a memorable time for the team as the last time Bellarmine Volleyball was in the state tournament was in 2015. Captains Keira Leingang (#7), Maddie Taitano (#9), and Bridget Woodruff (#16) were able to lead their team to Yakima on and off the court with “motivation, pep talks, support, and such a strong knowledge of each individual player and what was going through their head”. For seniors Leingang, Woodruff, and Ella Jackson (#12), this marks a memorable time as they were able to finish their Bellarmine Volleyball career strong by leading their team to state. Woodruff has also made a verbal commitment to play Division 1 volleyball at Fordham University.
In the double elimination system, the first round match was played against the Camas High School team and ended in a 0-3 set loss. Their second game was played against Gonzaga Prep High School. The first set went to Bellarmine and the second two were close but resulted in a loss. Players Michelle McClung (#5) and Madalyn Eagan (#6) played as libero for the games at state.
Taitano describes the team’s showing at state as a “big deal for the program” considering it was the 19th appearance. She also received high compliments from her own teammates, regarding her flexibility to play multiple roles on the court, and her leadership skills.
Leingang leaves her team with words of advice encouraging future Bellarmine Volleyball players to “focus on your side of the net and worry about the parts for the game that you can control.” Looking even further down to the 2024 season, the players are wishing for the same type of great chemistry and support that they encountered this year to find themselves at state once again.
