By Jacob Norling
August 25, 2022
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont head coach Ruth McGolpin's first three seasons at the helm have all entered some form of uncharted territory. In 2019, the Warriors went to the NAIA National Championship game for the first time in program history.
 
Then, due to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, McGolpin's second season began with a 13-month hiatus between games. To make matters even stranger, after a year-long break between seasons from 2019-2020, the 2021 season began after an abbreviated off-season that lasted less than four months.
 
The Warriors posted a respectable 20-11 record in 2021, including a 14-4 record in Golden State Athletic Conference play. However, coming off of consecutive GSAC championships in the seasons prior, 2021 offered the bittersweet ending of a second-place finish, and an Opening Round exit in the NAIA National Tournament.
 
Finally, in 2022, McGolpin's club has had the chance to regroup over a full and productive offseason.
 
"The biggest factor is, things have been able to go back to normal for the most part," said McGolpin. "We were finally able to have a spring season, which no one on our team had experienced before. Not even our seniors have ever played through a normal offseason until this year.
 
"To be able to have that sense of normalcy and work on things in a smaller setting was awesome."
 
The Warriors were able to lay groundwork during their spring season, and then, after summer vacation, the club returned to Santa Barbara for training camp at the beginning of August. Whereas the last couple seasons has prevented the club from spending excess time together, this August has allowed the group to build the sense of comradery that McGolpin knows is key.
 
"We've been able to spend much more time together, both on and off the court," began McGolpin, "With that, we're not only getting to know one another better on the court, but we're discovering more in regards to the team's personalities and that's been great.
 
"You get that special feeling with this group of women. They just really love each offer, and because of that, I love coming to practice each and every day."
 
McGolpin credits her senior leadership for the quick connections made amongst the club.
 
"Lexi Malone, Keelyn Kistner, and Alexa Gatiss have really taken on the role of bridging the gap for our team," beamed McGolpin. "They've gone above and beyond as far as getting the team off-campus and getting the players to bond quickly.
 
"All three of those players are respected as leaders, because they're kind and nurturing people."
 
McGolpin's club features only five upperclassmen, but luckily for her, four of them are penciled in as opening day starters, and three were named to the All-GSAC team in 2021.
 
"The emotional aspect of our upperclassmen is huge," said McGolpin, "and their on-the-court roles are just as important."
 
Malone, in her fourth and final season, headlines the club's All-GSAC trio after leading the Warriors with 83 blocks in 2021. Malone, a middle hitter, recorded 199 kills, averaging 2.58 kills per set as a junior.
 
The other two All-GSAC threats are juniors Phoebe Minch and Jessie Terlizzi, who are both entering their junior campaigns.
 
Minch, an outside hitter, led the club with an average of 2.78 kills per set last season. Minch also collected 328 digs, which is best amongst returners. Terlizzi, another outside option, led the Warriors with 334 kills in 2021, averaging 2.65 kills per set.
 
"I expect Lexi Malone to have another breakout season like she did as a freshman," said McGolpin. "As far as Phoebe and Jessie go, they're different as juniors, and in a good way. Phoebe's personality has really started to shine. She is an amazing athlete and is really coming into her own.
 
"Jessie is starting to do a lot of the little things really well, and not just on the court. Off the court she's taken on more of a leadership role this season."
 
Rounding out the upperclassmen starters is Kistner, the club's eldest setter. Kistner, who averaged 4.98 assists per set in 2021, comes into her senior year with the 10th-most assists in program history (1,737).
 
"Keelyn has that look in her eye," assured McGolpin. "It's similar, like Lexi, to what we saw from her in 2019. You can just see that Keelyn is laser-focused, and I'm excited to see what she brings this season."
 
In regards to her four upperclassmen starters, McGolpin said, "We need those four to continue mentoring the younger players. We also need them to continue to stay focused and level-headed throughout the season, because it's going to be a grind."
 
While Kistner will be the club's starter and most trusted option, also factoring into the setting equation will be freshman Alexa Shiner, who comes to Westmont from Peoria, Arizona.
 
"Alexa Shiner is awesome," said McGolpin. "Her personality fits in really well. She is quirky, funny, and with that, she is also extremely talented."
 
Joining Kistner, Malone, Minch, and Terlizzi in the club's starting lineup will be a pair of sophomores that McGolpin believes have rapidly grown in the past year.
 
"Taylor Distelberg and Kaili Hashimoto will both be starters," assured McGolpin. "Taylor will be a middle for us, and Kai will get the nod as our libero."
 
Hashimoto recorded 279 digs off the bench in 2021, the third-most of any Warrior, while Distelberg collected 48 kills in limited time.
 
"Kai looks like the Kai that we recruited," said McGolpin, "and Taylor, out of everyone this offseason, probably worked the hardest. In the weight room, in the gym, and in all our drills, she just got after it. I'm excited to see what those two do with the opportunity."
 
Off the bench for the Warriors, a couple of players have specifically caught McGolpin's eye as potential contributors.
 
"Freshman Ilyssa Ocampo will play a lot as a DS," shared McGolpin. "She is already so fast, and is coming into her own with her voice. Sophomore Sara Krueger will be moving to opposite this year, and she's going to have a chance, at times, to make a big impact at the net."
 
As far as the big picture in 2022, McGolpin's club is prioritizing intentionality when it comes to the goals they've agreed to set for themselves.
 
"Every day, we write down our individual goals," said McGolpin, "and every week, we have our 'Go Big Goal' as well. With that, we also have a goal of gratitude. A big theme for us early on has been 'intentionality'. Whether it's on the court, or off the court, we want to be intentional in everything we do."
 
While the club is focused on their daily and weekly tasks, the group also has their eye on an even bigger goal that they hope to chase down in 2022.
 
"Our goal is to win GSAC," stated McGolpin. "I'm a planner and I like to look ahead, but one of my personal goals is to stay laser-focused on that day and that match in front of us."
 
Westmont's season begins on Friday with a doubleheader against La Sierra and Dordt (Iowa). Then, after a four-game tournament in Nebraska the following weekend, the club returns to Santa Barbara on September 10 for their home and GSAC opener against The Master's.
 
The Warriors close out the regular season with their northern California trip the first weekend of November, followed by the GSAC Tournament from November 10-12.
 
The NAIA Opening Round is scheduled to begin on November 19, and if Westmont can successfully move beyond that point, they'd return to Sioux City, Iowa for the NAIA National Championship on November 30.
 
The NAIA National Championship Match is scheduled to take place on December 6.