By Jacob Norling
September 5, 2024
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Like all other teams at the college, the Westmont Volleyball team saw their season take a drastic turn nearly five weeks before a single athlete arrived on campus. That, of course, was brought on by the July 11 announcement that Westmont had been granted a waiver for its third and final season of transition into NCAA Division II.
 
That news brings hope at the beginning of the fall, when Westmont teams can officially begin to dream again as full members of the NCAA.
 
"It means the most to our seniors," said Westmont Volleyball head coach Ruth McGolpin. "You could see the reaction online. I mean, the entire Distelberg family was stoked. You could see the response all over social media. For these seniors, and our team, it gives them a little hope and a sense of promise."
 
Taylor Distelberg not only headlines Westmont's roster ahead of the new year, but as McGolpin said, the All-PacWest senior also represents the demographic that was most directly affected by this summer's news. When Distelberg arrived on campus in the fall of 2021, Westmont's planned move to the NCAA was not yet public. When the news did come out a year later, it meant that for Distelberg and the rest of the Class of 2025, there would be no postseason following their sophomore campaign.
 
Now, however, Distelberg and her classmates enter their senior year with the greatest promise that an athletics schedule can offer: anything can happen.
 
"Taylor is our captain this year," revealed McGolpin. "Mentally, I go back to her recruiting trip, during COVID. We sat down on the lawn together that day and I asked her, "what did you feel when you stepped foot on this campus?'"
 
"It feels like home," Westmont's eventual captain replied.
 
"Taylor has blossomed as she's grown over the years," continued McGolpin, "and she definitely had her breakout season last year. We're hoping for that breakout to continue this season."
 
For Westmont, their hopes of competing in the PacWest could lie heavily on the performance of their All-PacWest middle hitter, who posted one of the greatest defensive seasons in Westmont history a year ago. Distelberg's 124 blocks ranked as the 10th-most in program history, and the third-most in the PacWest. Distelberg's .324 attack percentage was not only tops for a Warrior, but was also the fourth-highest clip in the conference.
 
Joining Distelberg in the senior class are Kaili Hashimoto, Westmont's most-trusted libero, and Sara Krueger, Westmont's electrifying right side hitter. For Hashimoto, she returns for one final season after collecting 337 digs a year ago. For Krueger, the senior looks to follow up on a year where she recorded a career-high 239 kills.
"Kaili Hashimoto has been passing nails in practice," said McGolpin. "She's projected to be the starting libero at this point. Then for Sara Kruger, she's done an outstanding job on the right side, where she's projected to be a starter as well.
 
"It's a good senior class, with all three of them having unique leadership traits. They're all pretty quiet, but they carry themselves with integrity, which has helped our culture evolve under their watch."
 
McGolpin's junior class will also provide a great deal of leadership, as well as production on the floor. Nariah Prescott, who enters her second season in a Westmont uniform, collected an even 200 kills in 2023. Along with Prescott, the ever-enthusiastic Alexis Dennick headlines the junior class after posting a .306 attack percentage last season.
 
"As far as vocal leadership, Nariah is hands down the most vocal in that class," nodded McGolpin. "Our goal is to see if she can play some outside, as well as opposite, like she did last year. Then for Lexi Dennick, she probably has the most captain-like traits of anyone in that class, both on and off the court.
 
The final member of the junior class is perhaps Westmont's most unsung hero, their star setter, Alexa Shiner. Shiner, who led the team with 551 assists in 2023, also contributed with 34 service aces. The Peoria native also grabbed 254 digs, the second-most of any Warrior.
 
One of Westmont's returning sophomores, Ella Hosfeld, is once again penciled to share the setting duties with Shiner, after contributing with 522 assists a year ago.
 
"Shiner is a shiner," said McGolpin. "She's a great setter, her tempo of play is awesome, and she's just steady on defense. Then with Ella, you have another great option in the starting 6-2 setter role. Shiner and Ella are similar in the sense that they're both introverts, but they carry themselves in a way where they're viewed as leaders. They both have a consistent desire to be better, and that's a great trait in a setter."
 
Two more sophomores figure to play into Westmont's plans as well, with Malia de Jesus returning as a defensive specialist, and Valerie Coward providing depth as an outside hitter.
 
"Malia de Jesus has also been passing really well," added McGolpin, "and with that double-libero rule, that's going to be fun and exciting because she was one of our best servers last year. Utilizing her in a double-libero role along with Kai is something I could see happening.
 
"Then with Val, she has potential to be one of the starting outside hitters. She did a nice job coming off the bench last year, and she did a great job keeping things light and fun on the bench as well. As long as she can maintain that lightness in an expanded role this year, then that lightness can help her generate the confidence she needs."
 
As far as Westmont's freshman class goes, a few names have quickly emerged as options right off the bat.
 
"Maddie Finnegan on the outside has looked really good in practice," noted McGolpin. "Her passing looks solid, and she's a really smart, savvy attacker. She's small but she's so competitive, which I love. Maddie is the person who's asking for more reps in the gym, and asking what she can do better on a daily basis."
 
Finnegan joins Westmont via the Pacific Northwest, where she was a standout at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Washington. Another pair on McGolpin's radar are freshmen Ava Cotton and Audrey Hyde, the former from Scottsdale, Arizona, and the latter making the trek down from Visalia.
 
"Ava has looked good," continued McGolpin. "She's got a bit of a different arm swing, but it's fast. She jumps well, is extremely athletic, and she's been passing well. Audrey Hyde is a lefty on the right side with a real whip of an arm. She definitely has the potential to get some serious time this year."
 
While Westmont's core remains similar, McGolpin was quick to point out how unfamiliar the group may appear at the beginning of the season.

"It just feels different," acknowledged McGolpin. "We have nine returning players, eight new freshmen, and then two brand new assistant coaches. That might be intimidating to look at, but it feels different in a good way."
 
One of the new faces on the sidelines will be Head of Volleyball Operations, Hannah Caddow, who tormented Westmont fans in a star-studded career at Life Pacific from 2019-2023. Also joining McGolpin's staff is Chelsea Sheffey (Bergeson), who donned a Westmont Volleyball uniform for two seasons in 1993 and 1994.
 
The faces are new, and the conference is competitive, but the goal remains the same for McGolpin heading into her sixth season.
 
"My goal is to win the conference, I'm never not going to say that," said McGolpin. "I believe we can have a breakthrough year. I was sitting at home the other night, reflecting on the day, and I told my husband, 'this might have been the most fun training camp I've had'.
 
Still, McGolpin knows that a path to the postseason will require a marathon of excellence from the Warriors this fall.
 
""We'd have to win it outright," assured McGolpin. "Fourteen teams, no conference tournament, if we want a crack at the postseason, I understand that we'd have to win it outright."
 
The Warriors went 12-15 last season, and finished a game under .500 in PacWest play. There are 14 teams in the PacWest this season, and there is no conference tournament. In all likelihood, as McGolpin said, Westmont would have to win the PacWest regular season title in order to punch their ticket to the NCAA postseason.
 
A tall task? Yes, but one that Ruth McGolpin and the Westmont Volleyball team is willing to take on.
 
"The conference is hard and the travel is hard," said McGolpin. "Everything about it is hard, and we know that. I'm still shooting for first, though. I keep saying it, it feels different this year".
 
"I wouldn't be coaching if I didn't think we could win."