Bulldogs’ stellar season brought to an end by Jordan

JWP volleyball concludes best season in years

Despite a fantastic start against the #6 seed, #11 JWP was unable to keep the momentum in their favor as the hosting Jaguars kept chipping away at them, eventually taking the four-set match 3-1 and forcing the Bulldogs to a first-round exit.

In years past, each section the Bulldogs were in was split into subsections due to the number of teams within them. That wasn’t the case this year. That meant that JWP faced an opponent they weren’t used to seeing despite being in the same section as them. However, Head Coach Jessica Keenan did share that they had some familiarity with the Jaguars since the team faced them in scrimmages before the season started.

At first, it seemed like JWP could make Jordan’s night long. Senior Presley James got the Bulldogs on the board.  Everything went their way throughout the set, as the girls had their best work up front from all season, blocking several spikes from the Jaguars’ front three and seniors Ellah Oliver and Hope Dimmel scoring aces for the team. Although Jordan did take a quick 7-6 lead, the Bulldogs outscored them 19-7 down the stretch to stun the Jaguars 25-14 for the early lead.

However, it appeared Jordan had woken up…or realized they highly underestimated JWP’s abilities. The second set was close, but the Jaguars showed they had a highly potent spiking ability, especially from the center of their side of the court. They also showed JWP that they could block, as several shots were returned to their side of the court.

The Bulldogs showed some heart throughout the set. One play that looked like it had no chance of working out for JWP ended up being a lucky shot for Bure, as a desperate attempt to hit it to Jordan’s side from the front row of the bleachers ended up staying in bounds just enough to count. However, luck was running out for the Bulldogs, and a few mental errors allowed Jordan to slip away with the 25-19 victory to tie the match one apiece.

“Jordan definitely started catching up to us,” Keenan admitted.

The third set was admittedly a frustrating one. A block by James set up a 1-0 lead for JWP. They fell behind and got back into the game with a 10-8 lead. However, one issue that’s been trouble for the girls throughout many games during the season returned to haunt them: some mental mistakes piled up, letting Jordan take advantage for another 25-19 victory despite great plays by JWP.

It was clear that any momentum that the Bulldogs had from the victory in the first set had left them by the fourth and final one of their season. Jordan had everything going for them, whether it was solid spikes that JWP couldn’t handle cleanly or calls going Jordan’s way. The Jaguars showed no mercy as they ended the Bulldogs’ season with a 25-8 final score in the fourth to end the game 3-1.

It was a brutal way for such a stellar season to end. The team ended their season 13-11, fourth place in the conference, and with the loss to Jordan, 2-3 in the section. It’s been at least 2016 (if not longer) since JWP has had a winning record. It’s even more impressive that they reached their 13-11 record, considering their 1-6 start. Down the stretch, they won 12 of their following 16 games to turn things around.

While discussing their turnaround, Keenan revealed that the team was able to connect with a mental performance consultant who was a former part of the volleyball coaching staff. “We had a couple of sessions with her, and I think that really made the difference. The coaches trusted her and bought into what she was saying, and they did a good job applying that.”

This season, only juniors and seniors were on the team, which is rare for a smaller school like JWP. It was indeed a special one for the volleyball program. “They’re the most fun group I’ve had. They play really well when they’re having fun. And I’m very proud of them.”

Many of these players have either broken records, made milestones, or reached the top five in stats. This year alone, Aubrey Weedman reached 1,000 set assists, while Brielle Bure became the first volleyball player in JWP history to reach 1,000 digs during her record-breaking campaign.

Twelve seniors will leave the team this year–ten players and managers. Credit to the announcers for Jordan–after the game, they announced the ten senior players that will be leaving after this season. They are captains Presley James, Aubrey Weedman, Lilly Strauss, and Brielle Bure, and fellow players Claire and Paige Walz, Hope Dimmel, Ellah Oliver, Ava Appel, and Brielle Dessner. Managers Madyn Holland and Autumn Thissen, who have helped manage the team for two seasons, will also leave after this year.

When asked what advice she’d give the seniors, Keenan responded, “I’d tell them to keep being their fun selves and just never change. They’re a great group and gals, and I’m going to miss them a lot. “These girls have played together for a long time,” Keenan continued. “So, we’ve been waiting for the senior season for a while. They held up to the expectations I had in place for them. So, it sucks right now. But, looking back, they had a really good time. They’re one of those groups that you work with once in a lifetime.”

We had a chance to talk to the captains about the season, starting with how they achieved a winning record for the volleyball program for the first time in years. “I think achieving that was big for us,” Bure said. “It’s been a change for sure.”

“It pushed us to keep that winning streak going,” Weedman added. “I think it helps that we’re such a close family outside of sports.

We also asked about their favorite moment of this season. “I think just how close we were the entire season,” Weedman answered first.

“I also think getting ourselves out of that rough start in the beginning,” Strauss added.

Bure agreed. “We really kicked it into high gear.”

This editor also finally had a chance to congratulate Weedman and Bure on their milestones this season. When asked about reaching 1,000 digs, Bure called it a “blessing.” She and Weedman both acknowledged that it wouldn’t have been possible without the whole team behind them.

Although most of the team is leaving this season, five juniors will remain. When asked about advice they’d give them, Presley James was the first to respond. “I’d tell them to keep pushing to get better. I know they’ll keep working hard.”

“Stay close outside of volleyball,” Weedman added. “It really helps when you’re friends outside of the court.”

Strauss expanded on Weedman’s thought. “Love each other; don’t have any hatred toward one another.”

Following the game, the seniors presented the coaching staff with a little going away present. Coaches Keenan and Tater Schmitz received gift baskets. Schmitz looked like he had enough Mountain Dew bottles to last nearly two weeks. The seniors, along with those two coaches and assistant coach Kayla Holden, posed for one last photo together.

And so ends a great season for JWP volleyball. Although it wasn’t the storybook ending everyone wanted, the Bulldogs still played some of their best volleyball in many seasons. This team, especially the seniors, has played passionately since their first varsity rallies. They will leave a memorable legacy behind them, if not for what they achieved on the stat sheet, for their leadership, and the joy that they brought to the JWP Bulldog volleyball program.