Smith Earns First Career Win as Bloomfield Volleyball Opens Season With Five-Set Victory
Story by Walter Dorman
Photos by Chuck Cook Instagram dustdevil505
BLOOMFIELD — It took five sets, a little adversity and one final push, but Bloomfield volleyball gave first-year head coach Smith a debut she won’t soon forget.
The Bobcats opened the season with a 3-2 victory over the Grants Pirates, winning the deciding fifth set 15-11 to give Smith her first career victory as a varsity head coach.
For Smith, who said volleyball has been a passion of hers for as long as she can remember, the win meant even more because of the excitement she saw from her players.
“Volleyball’s been my passion since I could even remember, so it means a lot to me to see these girls being so excited to come out and get a win for their first game,” Smith said.
Bloomfield looked sharp from the beginning, taking the opening set 25-21 before winning the second 25-19.
Smith said the Bobcats’ energy stood out immediately.
“They were so energetic from the get-go,” she said. “Usually it’s a roller coaster. It’s just riding the roller coaster, who’s going to get there first, and they stayed on top of their game throughout those first two sets, and I was very impressed.”
But the match changed after Bloomfield took the 2-0 advantage.
Grants responded by winning the third set 25-18 and the fourth 25-22, forcing a deciding fifth set.
Smith felt her team became a little too comfortable after the strong start.
“We definitely got comfortable, started playing down instead of staying to our level and playing what we know,” she said. “We started making simple mistakes, and they fed off of it instead of fueling from it and working from it and learning from it.”
With the match tied at two sets apiece, Smith’s message going into the fifth set was simple.
“Get a fire lit under your butt and let’s go,” she said. “It’s go time. It’s all or nothing. We got nothing to lose. It’s first game. It’s either who wants it more.”
The Bobcats answered.
Bloomfield regrouped and won the final set 15-11, showing Smith something about the mental toughness of her team in the process.
“Just holding themselves accountable throughout all five sets,” Smith said. “Even though they were tired, I reminded them that so was the other team, and that they have to push through, and it’s all mental.”
Smith admitted she had plenty of nerves entering her first match as a varsity head coach.
“I was very nervous going into it, especially this being my first time being a head coach, just making sure everything is in check, everything’s how it’s supposed to be,” she said.
By the third set, however, she knew Bloomfield was in for a battle and began settling into the moment.
After the final point, it took Smith a little while to realize what her team had accomplished.
“It took me a minute to finally let all the nerves get settled,” she said. “But once I was settled, I was like, dang, these girls really, really could do this.”
That may be one of the biggest takeaways from the opening-night victory.
Smith saw plenty of talent during the summer, but now she has also seen how her team can respond when a match starts going the other direction.
She believes the Bobcats still have plenty to learn, but likes the potential of the group if they remain willing to be coached.
“They have a lot to learn, but in this short amount of time, I really think as long as they stay coachable and stay in the game, they’re definitely a group that can accomplish it,” Smith said.
Leadership will also play a major role for Bloomfield this season.
Smith said having a large group of seniors gives the Bobcats players who understand what it is like to work their way through the program, from the lower levels to varsity.
“They know what it’s like to be on each team,” she said. “So they understand how the girls’ emotions and feelings are during each game and how they once felt when they were at that age.”
Smith wants those seniors to help lead the younger players while keeping everyone accountable throughout the season.
She also emphasized the importance of the setter, calling the position the “heart and soul” of the team and comparing it to the quarterback position in football.
There are still plenty of areas Bloomfield wants to improve after the opener.
Smith pointed specifically to passing, keeping the ball off the net and maintaining communication and energy throughout an entire match.
“When our energy dies, we’ve got to stay talking, or else our game dies with us,” she said.
Beyond wins and losses, Smith also wants to build a volleyball culture that stretches throughout the entire Bloomfield program.
She wants younger players, middle school athletes and even younger siblings to feel connected to Bloomfield volleyball.
“We’re all one big program,” Smith said. “I want them all to feel welcome.”
That long-term approach is part of what Smith hopes to establish in her first season, while the immediate goal remains competing every night.
As for the district race, Smith knows the Bobcats still have work ahead of them, but she also believes her team has the ability to surprise some people.
“If they stay headstrong and they keep working, they might just be surprised where they put themselves this year,” she said.
And after starting the season 1-0, Smith wants her players to enjoy the victory without allowing one win to change their mindset.
“I want them to take this and run with it, but also be very humble about it,” Smith said. “Staying confident, like we’re still 0-0, and every game is we’re going for that one, that one every single time, that 1-0.”
For Smith and the Bobcats, the first one is officially in the books.
And it came with a little bit of everything — a fast start, a challenge, a response and, most importantly, a win.
