Leake, Loganbill reflect on historic start as volleyball sweeps York
The Threshers are now 2-0 in conference play, 14-5 overall.
On Wednesday, the Bethel (14-5, 2-0) volleyball team defeated York (2-12, 0-1) in three sets — 25-16, 25-22, and 25-17 — to tally their 14th win of the season — the most in a single campaign since 2014.
“I’ve been with this team since 2018, so to see the program begin to turn around is really special,” senior Mia Loganbill from Hesston said. “The success feels great, but we still have a job to do. I think we’re doing a good job of focusing. We enjoy the wins, then come back to practice ready to focus on the next matchup.”
“We don’t talk much about the recent years of Bethel volleyball because we’re such a different team,” head coach Adriana Leake said. “We have high expectations in terms of the level that we compete every match — and so far, with the exception of two games, I’ve felt like we’ve performed at a high level in every match. That’s all I can ask for as a coach.”
This season, by all accounts, has started better than any coach or player could ask for, and it doesn't stop with just 14 wins. The Threshers are now 2-0 in conference play after beating Friends last week for the first time since 2017 before sweeping the Panthers.
“There are some teams in our conference that I have expectations for wins, but our biggest focus is just getting better each day,” Leake said. “I think everyone in the conference knows that we’re a tough team to play.”
“I like our conference because anyone can beat anyone on any given day,” Loganbill said. “I’m definitely expecting to get some upsets this year. Whatever team shows up that day is going to win.”
As Loganbill and Coach Leake are on the same page, Bethel looks to keep the stellar start alive — and possibly turn it into hardware by season’s end.
“I love the team dynamic we have going this year,” Loganbill said. “The team culture is strong, there’s a lot of trust between teammates and coaches, and everyone plays with a good balance of joy and focus.”
She continued, “This year the attack is really balanced and anyone can score. The setters are finding the hitters and Katey [Wilhelm], [Madilyn] Chupp, and Brooke [Russel] do a great job in keeping the ball alive to get us second and third chances.”
Loganbill had two blocks and 12 kills in the win over York, followed by sophomore Jordan Boone with nine kills and two blocks. Sophomore Mia Roman had 19 assists and nine digs while sophomore Chupp had 12 digs and an ace.
The Threshers will be back in action at Thresher Gym on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. when they host Avila. The Eagles are 0-2 in conference play.