Bothell, Inglemoor sport a spirited and talented group of volleyball players

It’s an understatement to say that the Bothell High community is thrilled about its volleyball program — and the sport in general.

On Tuesday night, the Cougars were cracking jokes, giving high-fives and talking up their team two hours before its 4A Kingco home match against Newport. It was Spirit Night and the girls were hoping for a packed gym and a winning result.

The team fought Newport tooth and nail, but ended up on the losing end in three straight close games in front of a throng of Cougar supporters. Bothell (3-2 overall) took its next step in league play with a five-game victory over Issaquah on Thursday night.

Bothell volleyball booster-club president Marc Galvagno set Spirit Night in motion.

“We knew we had a special program with volleyball, and we wanted to share that with the community,” he said. “I think once people see the product, they’ll want to come back — it’s very exciting.

“We live in the Bothell community and you see (spirit) in so many ways, whether it’s at the football games or you see it at the Fourth of July parade, or all the wonderful things when they get behind a Little League baseball team,” he added.

Senior setter Allie Hadley noted before the match: “There’s been talk all over the school — it will definitely be a Spirit Night that Bothell will never forget.” (Prizes for fans included T-shirts and iPads.)

Hadley notched 22 assists and 15 digs against Newport, senior defensive specialist Sarah Baillargeon chipped in with 19 digs and junior outside hitter Katie Arneson hammered home a game-high 13 kills.

Junior outside hitter Emma Salud noted that Bothell — which returns 10 players from last year — has been executing big plays at crucial points of each game, especially in a five-game win over Lynnwood to tip off the season. (The Cougars rebounded after losing to Lynnwood in five last fall.)

“We’ve already come pretty far with getting more energy and more chemistry as a team, so that’s been really helpful,” Salud said.

Added Hadley: “We’ve grown. It feels like a completely new team. We’re just gelling together and acting as one.”

Lexie Bedell, a junior outside hitter who wears the same No. 3 that her sister Haley (now at Pacific University in Oregon) sported for the Cougs, says her team is talented up and down the roster. At 5-foot-11, Salud is back at full strength after suffering a stress fracture to her back and is “lights out in the middle,” Bedell said of her teammate’s powerful hitting.

“I feel like we have a variety of girls out there and there’s always someone that you can trust to go in for you if you’re having a rough game,” said Bedell, also 5-11.

On the spirit side of things, senior Makenzie Kruger is known to teammates as “The Energizer Bunny,” someone who pumps the team up on and off the court and possesses a constant laugh and smile.

The team also reels off some fun dance moves before each game, Kruger said.

“Our coaches do it with us, so it’s a fun way to get together and all pepped up. Then we get a nice little pep talk by our coaches, and it’s just a good way to get ready for the game, get excited.”

The Cougars’ next endeavor will be hosting a “blackout night” match next month to raise money for breast-cancer awareness, Galvagno said. The team will wear black-and-pink uniforms and sell pink bracelets and T-shirts in the weeks leading up to the match. The girls will also be walking in the upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer charity event.

INGLEMOOR

Players like Morgan Trahan, Emily Carpenter, Macie Cross and Ellie Swanson have been making an impact for Inglemoor (1-4) thus far.

In a five-game win over Issaquah this week, Trahan nailed a team-high 16 kills, Carpenter had 13 kills and 15 digs, Cross had 17 digs and setter Swanson recorded 30 assists.

Coach Jenna Holloway notes that Swanson, a senior, is one of the Viks’ leaders on two levels. “Ellie does a great job of finding what works — she mixes her sets up well and has quick, clean hands. She is a powerful emotional force on the court, as well, and does a great job of keeping spirits up.”

Along with Swanson, Carpenter (outside hitter) and Cross (libero), other top returners are Jillian Sellard (middle blocker) and Hannah Strom (outside hitter), who injured her ankle in practice and is slowly working her way back into the lineup.

Junior outside hitter Trahan is joined by senior right-side players Ari Hesterberg and Hayley Conant on the newcomers’ list.

“Ari moved here from out of state, and has been a welcome addition,” Holloway said. “She instantly meshed well with both returning players and new players, and added some needed height (she’s 6-foot) to our team.”

Holloway added that Hesterberg and Conant are both smart, effective players; Trahan and Carpenter “both just love to swing and are a powerful force together on the court”; and Cross digs up a ton of balls from the back row.