BILLINGS — Billings West came up short last volleyball season, as the Golden Bears missed out on Saturday at the state tournament and, consequently, a piece of hardware.
“They really want to work hard. They want to do something and they want to do it well. They're no strangers to hard work," said West coach Bailie Carlson. "They've been in the gym four mornings a week. They're just super eager to improve and do better, and that's really all a coach could ever ask for."
"It definitely was a thought in the back of all of our minds, I think," said senior Brooklyn Pierce. "Just remembering how that felt, I think it's a step to look forward to this year and it's just another push to motivate us."
Last year was a big transition for West, as Pierce was essentially the only returner with varsity experience. That’s far from the case this year, as the Bears bring back a handful of players with meaningful experience.
“Those are really big roles to step into, and they really embraced that last year and tried to figure it out. We did pretty good figuring it out, but this year they're ready to take it and run with it," Carlson said. "We kind of had a buffer year to learn the ropes and now they're ready to dig in and work."
To top it off, West yet again has a pair of impact 6-plus footers in Pierce and sophomore Reece Enderson, making the Bears a nightmare to go against.
“It's huge, it's everything. Especially when you can fine-tune blocking, get them to press and read the setter, it can be really hard for the team across the net from us," Carlson said.
West will be at home against the Helena schools this Saturday.
