Grace Bruton | Student Life

The spotlight is on the women’s soccer team at Francis Field after its dominant season last fall. Yet, off the field and inside the gym, the Washington University volleyball team has quietly put together a long string of successes, one that the Bears will look to continue this year as they search for their 33rd consecutive NCAA postseason appearance and strive to push farther into the tournament.

The No. 14 Wash. U. team went 26-8 last season, coming in third place in the University Athletic Association and winning in the first round of the NCAA playoffs before falling in the second round. This year, after the graduation of six-foot tall hitters Ifeoma Ufondu and Julianne Malek, the team’s competitive edge is the same, but the style has shifted. The team is smaller, height-wise, than it has been in recent years and that as a result there have been some changes to the Bears’ strategy.

“We’re going to be a more defensive team and a little bit more gritty team than we’ve been in years past,” head coach Vanessa Walby said Thursday. “It’s going to be quicker tempos and just more details and defense.”

While the team’s preseason workouts have focused both on defense and ball control, with the goal being to keep three attackers open as options, developing collaboration and team chemistry have also been crucial.

“The one thing that we lost during orientation is just some of the team bonding, so I’m trying to add as much team bonding stuff as I can during practice,” Walby said.

Walby is the one to provide initial instructions at the beginning of a drill, but the players are responsible for problem solving and communication throughout the drill, and she emphasized that she is not there to bail them out when they struggle.

The stress on bonding and teamwork seems to have paid off, as close relationships have already developed on the team. Walby observed that her interview with Student Life was the first time she had not been surrounded by players in her office. “My office door is open,” she said, adding that “the girls are always in here, having coffee, just hanging out and trying to chit-chat. Now the underclassmen are starting to come in a little bit more.”

Not only do the freshmen stop by Walby’s office, they also work diligently on the court.

“It’s really exciting because the younger players have a lot of potential that we look forward to seeing in this upcoming season,” junior Kirby Knapp wrote in an email to Student Life.

Walby agreed, “These freshmen have asked a lot of good questions and have been really patient,” she said. “These guys are just sponges right now and are really easy and willing to learn.”

Even though the season does not start until next week, the players have already started working, with twice-a-day practices throughout the weeklong preseason and a scrimmage this past weekend.

“Everyone is focused and ready to compete,” Knapp wrote. “Practice has been a fun battle every single day. We all bring out the best in each other, freshmen and returners alike, and I think it’s going to be a fun season.”

The Bears begin their season this Friday and Saturday with four matches in the Bear Invitational at the Athletic Complex, though they do not face their first ranked opponent until September 4, in a 7 p.m. home match against No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan University. That match will be a chance at revenge for the Red and Green, as Illinois Wesleyan defeated the Bears, 3-1, to eliminate Wash. U. from the NCAA tournament last November. The following week, Wash. U. will host the annual East to West Battle, which, according to Walby, will be a preview of the NCAA Division III Elite Eight, with teams like No. 1 Emory University and No. 3 Juniata College featured on a single court over two days of play.

Ahead of Friday’s opener, the team is full of optimism. “We’re trying to work really hard at just competing on a high level every single day and getting one percent better every day,” Walby said. When asked about her overall outlook for the team, she started with a simple phrase: “I’m excited.”