Women's VB Team Spikes On

Photo by Mari West

Kishwaukee College’s women’s volleyball team has been playing hard, working toward the Division Championship that will be held November 21.  So far, the team has been successful and is currently in first place in Division II, and ranked seventh in the community college conference.

This past weekend, the women’s team competed in a tournament in the Wisconsin Dells playing against Marshalltown Community College winning all three sets.  They also played Muskegon Community College taking all three sets, and Parkland College winning only two out of five.

Steve Bailey, Head Coach of the women’s volleyball team is in his third year of coaching here at Kish, and this is his first year as Head Coach.  Aside from coaching, he is the co-director of the Avalanche Volleyball Club in Aurora which he has been actively involved with for six years. His goal is to someday be a Division I volleyball coach.  He considers his highest achievement was winning the 2008 Division II championship.  As a coach, his philosophy is “practice makes perfect.  The things you want to accomplish in a match have to be physically and mentally ready for all obstacles that may get in the way.” His favorite quote he uses all the time is “Losers make excuses, winners get it done.”

There are five traits as a coach you look for in a possible volleyball recruiter; great student, great athlete, team player, trustworthy and a great communicator.

The roster consists of ten players.  They are:  Dakota Flessner, Janelle Gerds, Chelsea Neave, Samantha Schultz, Gretchen Friese, Kayla Waddell, Toni Cole, Ariel Listenbarger, Darian Payton, and Mackenzie Johnson.  Assistant Head Coach is Steve Williams and Head Coach is Steve Bailey.

There are several key players on the team.  Toni Cole, who is in her second year here at Kish playing the “middle” position, and Mackenzie Johnson, a first year student that plays the “right” position.  

In a recent tournament at East Central College in St. Louis, two team members, Toni Cole, and Chelsea Neave were nominated and recognized by seven judges as the “all tournament outstanding players” as Bailey quoted in the interview.  He is proud of each player and how well they play together as a team.  Despite being in first place, Bailey feels it’s best to be “reserved” and keep the team focused as they still have the rest of October through November to play consistently toward obtaining the National Championship.