By Ron Smith
August 31, 2025
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) One word is front and center for Westmont Volleyball's head coach, Ruth McGolpin.
 
"I've been thinking about the word gratitude all summer long," said McGolpin who is entering her seventh season at the helm of the program. "It just keeps coming up over and over. There is so much good that this program gives and so much our student-athletes can take from it. They are playing with a renewed sense of gratitude for what they have."
 
McGolpin expanded on her ideas when asked what success means for her program. "It means a lot of things. On the court, it means getting over the hump in the PacWest win column. Reaching the top four of the PacWest and playing in the tournament is our goal. I'd also like to see at least two of our players on All-PacWest teams.
 
"Off the court, it means continuing academically to have a team GPA of 3.3 or higher. It means our players continuing from start to finish to have a love for the game, and a love for each other, and to grow even closer together.
 
"The connection with each other is very strong. Last year's freshmen have matured and they are becoming the leaders because they had such great opportunities last year. They are working tremendously hard and holding each other accountable."
 
But gratitude and closeness is not all that McGolpin sees in her players, "They definitely have shown a lot more grit than in years' past. We are not big in stature, but we are super athletic, we are quick and we have grit. We have been grinding nicely. They show up to practice full of life. As a coach, I can't ask for anything more than the players showing up with a willingness to be coachable and to work hard. That is a blessing to me."
 
Gratitude, connection, grit, hard work, coachability – and one more thing.
 
"The team is playing with this David and Goliath mentality," remarked McGolpin. "We were picked by the PacWest coaches to finish tenth in the conference. However, our program sees the potential and believes we can finish in the top four."
 
Gratitude, connection, grit, hard work, coachability and something to prove. Sounds like the ingredients for cooking up something special.
 
THE CAPTAIN
 
Senior Alexis Dennick serves as the team's captain.
 
"Lexi has been an outstanding leader," assessed McGolpin. "She holds herself to a high standard and is not afraid to express to the rest of the team when they need to hold themselves accountable. She is also a servant leader who puts the team first before her needs and goes the extra mile.
 
"Lexi is a spiritual leader as well. She is a friend and a confidant to the players. She meets with class groups and individual players and prays with them. She is at their side for troublesome things. She has an innate sense of nurturing. She has served well as someone to go between myself and the team."
 
THE ROSTER
 
"We are very deep at the outside hitter position," noted McGolpin. "We return Valerie Coward and Maddie Finnegan to the rotation. Val is a leaper who can hit around the block. Her athleticism has gotten her where she is."
 
Coward played in 24 matches last year making 12 starts. She averaged 1.67 kills per set and tallied 12 blocks.
 
"Maddie plays all six positions in the rotation," pointed out McGolpin. "She is an amazing back row player, one of the best passers on the team. She is someone with a renewed sense of gratitude. She is an outstanding player who has an opportunity in front of her to help guide this team to greatness."
 
Finnegan notched 2.32 kills per set (second on the team). She led the team in service aces with 32 and was third in digs per set at 2.12.
 
Also returning to the outside hitter position is Ava Cotton.
 
"Ava has really worked hard over the summer and took a lot of good reps. So, she is looking good," appraised McGolpin. "She is strong and a really good passer. Over the course of the summer, she developed some nice toolbox shots. She can be a good blocker for us as well."
 
Two newcomers who will contribute to the outside hitter position are freshman Elarika Eiklor from Phoenix and junior transfer Ceanna O'Loughlin of Beaverton, Oregon.
 
"Elarika is also a leaper with good athleticism," noted McGolpin. "She is smiling all the time and just loves life. Ceanna is a strong, physical player with Division II experience from playing at Colorado State Pueblo. She is smart with her short shots and she serves well too. She is a team player who gets excited when any of her teammates make a good play."
 
Two players make up the middle hitter position – Dennick and Camila Cornejo-Farmer.
 
Dennick ranked third in the PacWest in blocks with a total of 106 and fourth in blocks per set at 1.06. Offensively, her .279 attack percentage was eighth in the conference.
 
"Lexi has been a tremendous blocker and she wants to continue that performance. Offensively, she hits at a high point and has a fast arm swing. She will be our serving middle hitter."
 
Cornejo-Farmer played on the right side last year but is making the move to the middle of the net this season.
 
"Camila is familiar with the middle hitter position because that is what she played in high school and in club volleyball," said McGolpin. "I've been telling her since the spring that she better be ready to play middle. She has a real fast arm and is a dynamic hitter."
 
The opposite side hitters consist of returners Nariah Prescott and Audrey Hyde as well as freshman Addie Emerson.
 
"Nariah played as an outside hitter last season which was uncomfortable for her. So, we moved her back to her opposite roots, where she is in her comfort zone," explained McGolpin. "She is probably the most athletic, physical person on our team."
 
Prescott played in 18 matches last season and recorded an average of 2.07 kills per set.
 
Hyde played in all 27 matches, posting an attack percentage of .252 and delivering 1.85 kills per set. She also notched 47 blocks.
 
"Audrey played significant minutes for us last year and is really good," noted McGolpin. "She is a natural lefty with a strong arm and she is a really hard worker. She is one of our Student-Athletic Advisory Committee representatives and is a natural, quiet leader."
 
Emerson comes to the Warriors from Portland, Oregon, where she played for Valley Catholic High School.
 
"Addie is an amazing athlete and extremely coachable," described McGolpin. "She pushes herself to be the best version of herself. She has innate leadership qualities and she loves to win. Addie is a lefty as well."
 
Setting up the Warrior attack are two setters – sophomore Lily Underwood (5-9) and freshman Sierra McClure (5-10).
 
"I told the team this morning that this is the first year that both of our setters have good size," pointed out McGolpin. "That is really helpful."
 
"Lily really came around this spring," reported McGolpin. "She is a natural lefty and a natural leader. Her ability to use her voice is great and keeps getting better in practice. Lily is a very hard worker. One thing I really like about Lily is that she is a risk taker."
 
Underwood is also a volleyball representative on the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee.
 
"Sierra is a good setter that has the ability to get the ball into the hitters' hands nicely. The players love her and she is going to be a really good setter."
 
Setting up the setters will be four defensive specialists: junior Malia de Jesus, sophomores Rylee Elias and Alyson Wurster and freshman Addison Dedekian.

"We have a good core with those four," reflected McGolpin.
 
Elias played in all 100 sets last season, leading the team in digs (312) and digs per set (3.12). Out of 367 serve reception attempts, she posted a reception percentage of .943.
 
"One of the biggest improvements for Rilee last year was finding her voice and having a commanding presence in the back row," observed McGolpin. "She's automatic in terms of passing and defense. She can also set high balls nicely with her hands and she's a good server."
 
De Jesus played in 63 sets for the Warriors, producing a digs per set average of 1.49.
 
"Malia has done a really good job," noted McGolpin. "Her passing abilities evolved a lot this summer. She switched majors to computer science and has found renewed value and focus this past summer as part of the CATLab program. She has grown in her confidence and her serving is amazing."
 
"What sets Alyson apart is that she reads the ball in defense and is quick," offered McGolpin. "That helps her pass the ball well."
 
Wurster played in 50 sets last season, posting a digs per set average of 1.92 and a serve reception percentage of .935.
 
Dedekian played for Buchanan High School in Clovis before coming to Westmont.
 
"Addison has solid technique and is a good passer," noted McGolpin. "She is learning that the speed of the game is a lot faster in college than it was in high school and club. She is super smart and you don't have to tell her things twice. Addison is a tremendously hard worker."
THE SCHEDULE
 
The regular season begins on Friday, September 5 in Fresno where the Warriors will participate in the Sunbird Classic. Friday will open with matches against UC Merced and Stanislaus State. Then on Saturday, Westmont will set up across the net from Chico State.
 
"UC Merced is transitioning into Division II," said McGolpin. "They were a solid program in the NAIA and were a good team when we played them last year at Monterey Bay." The Warriors prevailed in four sets.
 
"Stanislaus State played in the regionals last year and is receiving votes in the polls this year," reported McGolpin. "They are going to be a test for us right off the bat, which is nice."
 
The following weekend, Westmont will play in the Nighthawk Classic at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho. On Friday, September 12, the Warriors will take on Seattle Pacific (Wash.) and the host Nighthawks. The following day, the Warriors will face off against Colorado Mines and Westminster (Utah). Other than Northwest Nazarene, the Warriors have not faced any of those teams since McGolpin has been the head coach.
 
Play against PacWest opponents begins on Wednesday, September 17 when the Warriors host Concordia. However, not all matches against conference teams will count in the conference standings, including this first match against Concordia.
 
To provide for more competitive balance, each of the PacWest's 13 teams will play the other 12 schools in one countable conference match. In addition, the conference has scheduled matches against conference teams that will tally in the overall record, but not in the conference record. So, while Westmont will see Concordia, Biola, Chaminade, Jessup, Vanguard, Point Loma and Azusa Pacific twice, only one of those meetings will be designated as a PacWest conference match.
 
The first countable conference match for Westmont will come on Saturday, September 20 when the Warriors host the Oaks of Menlo. After hosting Hawai'i Pacific on Monday the 29th, Westmont Volleyball will return to the central valley for a match with Fresno Pacific.
 
The next two conference-countable matches will take place on the road when Westmont visits Concordia on October 10 and #16 Point Loma on October 11.
 
On October 23 and 25, the Warriors will play in Hawaii. First, Westmont will take on #9 Chaminade who is the defending PacWest Champion. Then, the Warriors will island hop to take on the Vulcans of Hawai'i Hilo.
 
Beginning on October 31, the Warriors will play five straight countable conference matches, four of which will be at home. The Warriors will host Biola on Halloween night, then welcome the Cougars of Azusa Pacific on November 5. After a road match at Vanguard on November 7, the Warriors will return to Murchison Gymnasium to host Dominican and Jessup on November 14 and 15.
 
Three matches on the team's schedule will hold special significance. The first is on Monday, September 29 when Westmont celebrates the memory of Sarah (McGough) Murray, a former Westmont standout player and assistant coach. Murray passed away from cancer after last year's season concluded, leaving behind her husband Jacob, daughter Emerson and a legacy of Westmont volleyball players and coaches.
 
The second event is a homecoming match-up with Point Loma (non-conference) on Friday, October 17. The following day, Westmont Athletics will be celebrating 50 years of women's sports. The third event is Senior Night on November 15.
 
As the Warriors make their way through the 2025 season, the team verse will help them keep gratitude in their minds and hearts. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights." – James 1:17.