Digging up wins
The BHS Volleyball team has made an impressive run during the regular season and hopes to end a decade-long championship drought.
BHS volleyball. The BHS varsity volleyball team has played an impressive season so far. The girls continue to push for a championship win. “Every single athlete has a role on this team and has stepped up to do their part,” varsity head coach Brianna Kline said.
November 10, 2021
It has been just over ten years since the BHS volleyball team won their last West Region Tournament. The last time they won was in 2010, when they ended up winning the state championship as well. This year, the volleyball team appears to have the potential to do it again. With a 3-0 victory against Saint Mary’s on Tuesday, November 3, the Demons sealed the WDA conference lead and will have a good standing at the upcoming West Region Tournament.
The team ended the season with a 19-1 record in the WDA. Their high standing may come as a surprise to some in the state, as the Demons did not end 2020 with the same impressive record they have this year.
“We were definitely not viewed as a threat at the beginning of the season, after not making it to State last year,” Varsity Head Coach Brianna Kline said. “We weren’t really on anyone’s radar for the majority of the season and the girls had it on their agenda to prove everyone wrong.”
The team has made many improvements since last season, with an important one being consistency.
“Compared to last year, many times we would start good and then lose confidence and start making many mistakes,” Senior Outside Hitter Kenadi Renner said. “This year we played hard the entire match and we never gave up.”
The Demons have also improved in their skills, being able to move the ball around well and play at a much faster pace.
“Our greatest strength is our ability to run plays and run fast,” Kline said. “When we run our plays consistently and spread our offense, we’re able to beat the block and catch the opponent’s defense on the move.”
Not only has the team improved in skill, they have become much closer as a team. Many of the athletes have been playing together since they were younger, giving them the trust to rely on each other.
“This team’s greatest accomplishments don’t just come from having a winning season,” Kline said. “They have truly learned what it takes to be a “family” on and off the court. They’ve learned how to work together and pick each other up when they need it the most.”
Not only do the Demons play well together and have an impressive record, they have one great accomplishment that no other team in the WDA has – defeating Century High School. They ended Century’s two year long winning streak with an impressive 3-1 win at Century High School.
“I would say one of the greatest team accomplishments would be beating Century,” Renner said. “I think that really boosted our confidence as a team. Century has always been known as the top team, and they are very good so it was really cool to beat them.”
While the Demons ended the regular season on a high note, they have their sights set even higher, towards the West Region Tournament. This is the WDA conference tournament that will be hosted in Watford City, ND on November 11-13.
“I feel like we have a really good chance to win WDA this year,” said Junior Setter Payton Foster, who achieved her 1000th assist earlier this season. “As you can tell from the rankings, it’s only us and Century who have basically separated ourselves from the rest. With our wins against Century already this year, we have the confidence to know that we can win WDA.”
To win the West Region Tournament, the Demons will have to play consistent, focused volleyball.
“We’ve talked all season about controlling the pace of the game, making every contact better and limiting our errors,” Kline said. “We need to continue to play our game – serving aggressively and doing what it takes to run our offense. We need to play with confidence and make sure we don’t get complacent.”
With the impressive season the Demons have displayed, they have the potential to do well in the State Tournament in Bismarck, ND on November 18-20. The tournament provides a new set of challenges with games that will be against teams outside of the WDA.
“I feel like we have the potential to win [the] state [tournament],” said Foster. “With the Crossover Tournament earlier in the year and the Scheels tournament in the middle of the season, we got the chance to play against the east teams and we won almost all of our games.”
The Demons have played very good volleyball so far this season and have the potential to do well in the postseason.
“I believe this team has what it takes [to win state],” Kline said. “When we confidently play our game and focus on our side of the court, we play some great volleyball.”
