Under the direction of first-year Head Coach Lisa Lindberg, the University of Redlands volleyball team took a first step in the right direction of rebuilding the program back to the glory days of its inaugural Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship in 2009. While doubling their win total from the previous season and improving in nearly every statistical category, the Bulldogs mustered a 6-20 overall record and a 2-14 mark against their highly-touted conference foes.
The 2015 campaign began with a successful road-trip to UC Santa Cruz in early September for a four-match outing against in-region foes. Redlands recorded Lindberg's first career-win with a resounding 25-8, 25-11, 25-6 decision against Mills College. The Bulldogs blasted the opponents with an efficient and effective offense that included just two errors in a .508 showing. Sophomore outside hitter Kailee McCoy (Chandler, AZ) and senior middle blocker Marisa Gile (Yucaipa, CA) led the way with six kills apiece while hitting at respective clips of .545 and .600.
The following day, Redlands made it two in a row with a five-set thriller over Lewis & Clark College (OR), winning by scores of 22-25, 25-20, 8-25, 25-22, 15-10. Senior middle blocker Ashton Martin (Redlands, CA) unleashed the match-winning point on one of her six kills for the match. Offensively, sophomore middle blocker Kiersten Langerud (Williamsburg, VA) paced the Bulldogs with 15 kills on 25 swings for a hitting percentage of .400. Junior setter Ellie McLeod (Redlands, CA) facilitated the offense by dishing out 47 assists. Sophomore defensive specialist Abby Hickman (Phoenix, AZ) patrolled the back row with a season-high 24 digs.
Following their stellar contributions that resulted in Redlands' 2-2 record at the UCSC Slugfest Tournament, three Bulldogs landed on the All-Tournament team. Martin and McLeod represented Redlands on the First Team, while Langerud garnered Second-Team recognition.
The Maroon and Gray made its way back to Southern California for two more tune-up matches before starting conference action. After enduring an oppressively hot environment at La Sierra University that resulted in a loss on September 9, Redlands rebounded with a sweeping victory over West Coast Baptist College in the team's first home match of the season. While using a proficient attack and a diversified line-up, the Bulldogs cruised to the win by scores of 25-17, 25-19, 25-17. Freshman outside hitter Kaylee Burdick (Sun Valley, CA) impressed in her home debut by knocking down a match-high 13 kills en route to a .429 hitting percentage.
Redlands began the SCIAC season by taking on the then-undefeated Pomona-Pitzer Colleges. Although the Bulldogs amassed 11 blocks in a quality defensive effort, they came up short in four sets by scores of 20-25, 25-21, 14-25, 18-25. Martin put her name on six total blocks in an impressive showing at the net.
After two conference losses, the Bulldogs bounced back with a pair of sweeping victories on September 26 in Currier Gym. Quality serving and a powerful attack created a lethal combination for the home team, as the Bulldogs posted a solid 25-14, 25-20, 25-10 victory over the Caltech Beavers in the day's opener. While utilizing 15 players, Redlands posted 14 service aces, with McCoy knocking down six of them. In terms of offense, the Maroon and Gray was firing on all cylinders, with Burdick providing the big arm for the Bulldogs by unleashing 11 kills for a hitting percentage of .529. McCoy backed her with an efficient seven kills at a .545 clip. McLeod and senior setter Lauren Ellingwood (Kirkland, WA) shared the ball-distribution duties while amassing 18 and 16 assists, respectively.
In the second match of the day, Redlands impressed with a 25-16, 25-12, 25-12 triumph over Providence Christian College. The Maroon and Gray relied on the same strategy with tough serving and a diversified offense that included at least one kill each from 10 of the 14 players in the match. Freshman outside hitter Emma Böttger (Orange, CA) found her rhythm with seven kills and five service aces.
The Bulldogs endured a tough run to finish out the season, as they recorded just one more win in the remaining 15 matches, which included matches against three nationally-ranked opponents among the conference schedule.
However, the program's sixth win of the campaign provided twice as many as the previous season, showing a positive step toward a better future. After being pushed in the opening set, Redlands successfully swept Caltech in a 25-17, 25-7, 25-12 on October 23. McCoy once again led the offense with her 12-kill, .417-hitting percentage performance. Langerud stepped up with five service aces, four total blocks, and three kills in the victory.
Four days later, the Bulldogs showed their resiliency, skill, and enthusiasm in one of the best matches of the year. While racking up 13 blocks, Redlands pushed the Whittier College Poets to five sets in an epic battle in Currier Gym. With their backs against the wall in the fourth set, the Bulldogs fired off a 9-0 run to propel them to victory and force the deciding frame. Amidst ridiculous rallies that included huge blocks, diving digs, and persistent attacks, the Maroon and Gray came up just short by scores of 22-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-20, 11-15 in front of an enthusiastic crowd of Bulldog faithful. Langerud, Burdick, and Martin each fired off double-digit kills in a valiant offensive effort. In addition, Burdick and McLeod each recorded double-doubles, with Burdick notching 12 kills and 16 digs and McLeod supplying 35 assists and 17 digs. Junior defensive specialist Alex Michel (Loma Linda, CA) provided 10 digs for her second double-digit performance of the season. Although the loss was heartbreaking, Redlands confirmed that it is a team not to be overlooked.
In addition to an increase in wins, the Bulldog volleyball team revealed a positive change across multiple statistics. The 2015 season including 243 more kills, which in turn produced 225 assists. Furthermore, Redlands served tougher, accumulating 50 more aces, and played better defense with 197 more digs. Overall, the Bulldogs look forward to building upon these improvements as they climb back into the upper echelon of the SCIAC.
Individually, Martin left her mark on the program by accumulating 647 kills during her four-year career. This lands her ninth in Redlands history. She also put up a solid wall along the net, resulting in 203 total blocks for the sixth-most in school history. Gile joined her among the top 10 with 152 total blocks. In just her third season, McLeod moves into sixth all-time in assists with 1,014.
In addition to Martin and Gile, the Bulldogs must say goodbye to seniors Kimberly Nevarez (Rancho Cucamonga, CA), Karly Burningham (Sonoma, CA), and Ellingwood. Primarily a right-side hitter, Nevarez provided 76 kills and 47 total blocks over the past two seasons. Burningham added depth and tenacity to the back row by racking up 554 digs in her four years. Finally, Ellingwood created versatility as a setter, amassing 673 assists in her career. This included her best per-set-average of 7.52 assists during the most recent season.
With the focus on growth and development of the team under a new coach, Redlands volleyball achieved a great step in the rebuilding process of a program that boasts post-season success among its history. While winning twice as many matches as a year ago, the Bulldogs are headed down the right path, as led by Lindberg's continued commitment to fundamental volleyball, team chemistry, and competitiveness.