Bethel volleyball starts season off sweeping at home triangular
The Threshers hosted Oklahoma Panhandle State and Briar Cliff without dropping a set on Saturday
The Bethel volleyball team started the season out with two wins Saturday, beating both Oklahoma Panhandle State and Briar Cliff University in straight sets.
The Threshers have large expectations coming into this season, picked to finish third in the KCAC, as well as receiving votes in the national polls in preseason polls. Despite these expectations the Threshers, an experienced team with six seniors, are not too focused on the end goal, but rather the journey.
“We've talked about [the expectations] but really our biggest focus has always been the process and not necessarily the outcomes,” says head coach Adriana Leake. “So that's just something that is a part of our normal conversation, that it could feel like pressure, but we know the work it takes to be an excellent team, and we do that every day, so we let the results speak for themselves.”
Leake is in her third season with the Threshers, and looks to continue to build on the success that the Threshers have had in the last two years, including a 2023 season that saw Bethel lose only two games in KCAC conference play.
On Saturday, the Threshers were led in kills by sophomore Cameron Offerle, who had 22 kills over both games. Fifth-year senior Kylah Carter added 18 kills of her own, and transfer senior Laci Ownbey provided another 15 kills for the Threshers.
Offerle, a native of Offerle, gave credit for her performance to the team’s defense and to her coaching: “Our defense was picking everything up and our setter, Mia, was doing a really good job of keeping the offense spread out, and that made it easy for us hitters… Coach [Leake] makes it easy for us to play light and I think it takes the pressure off of us.”
The Threshers’ defense was led by senior Maddie Chupp and freshman Abby Koontz who had 30 digs and 33 digs respectively. Senior setter Mia Roman commanded the offense, totaling 73 of the team’s 77 total assists over the two games, in Bethel’s one setter system.
“The team just did a really good job of communicating,” said Roman, from Kansas City. “We've been playing with each other for a couple years, so the chemistry is already there, and then our incoming freshmen are just incredible, so they just fit right in…we all have the same goal and the same expectations.”
The Threshers are looking forward to the upcoming season, and continue their season on Tuesday, Aug. 20th in Atchison in games against Hannibal-LaGrange University and Benedictine College.