Owensboro Catholic senior Belle Wright has been named The Owensboro Times Volleyball Player of the Year.
Part of a dominant trio that wouldn’t settle for anything less than a trip to the state tournament, Wright proved to be a driving force for the Lady Aces this season.
“Belle is a beast. That’s the easiest way I can put it,” said Catholic head coach Brian Hardison.
Wright ended the year with the second-most kills (315) and digs (131) for the Lady Aces. She also added 38 blocks and 17 aces.
“I was hoping that my season would go really well, and I’m pleased with it,” Wright said. “I worked really hard for it because it was our last season. I know that other seniors did, too.”
Wright’s contributions went far beyond the measurable stat lines, though. The energy level and work ethic she brought each day helped set the tone for what proved to be the first state tournament appearance in five years for Catholic.
“At the beginning of the season we were a very young team so I was very nervous,” Wright said. “This season surprised me a lot and I was extremely proud of how it ended. We all talked about how we wanted to go to state because none of us had ever been. We used that as motivation to push ourselves really hard.”
Hardison said Wright always pressed for harder practices and wanted to see constant improvement in herself and the team, and she was a big vocal leader for Catholic.
“Having that work mentality and wanting to get better was a big difference for her this year,” he said. “She’s definitely a voice. She tried to pump the team up. She always wanted the ball. The girls listened to her and the other two seniors.”
Another big improvement Wright made this offseason was to her mental game, as she worked on keeping a positive attitude throughout each match.
“I’m a perfectionist, so whenever I mess up I get in my head really bad,” she said. “This year I tried to just let it go because in volleyball, once the point is over you have to move on no matter what happened. I really tried to just let go of the mistakes I was making.”
Hardison said an improved state of mind, plus a good chemistry with the rest of the team, was a major key to Wright’s success this season.
“I think being so comfortable with who she was on the floor with played a big part,” he said. “It looked like she had so much confidence in what she was doing. That makes a big difference in a player.”
Wright is uncertain of what her future holds in terms of volleyball, though she plans to attend the University of Kentucky and is considering a career in physical therapy. She said there are some recreational leagues she may try to join so she doesn’t have to leave the sport altogether.
“I know I’m going to miss it,” she said. “In probably two weeks I’m going to start missing volleyball a lot. I’m going to try to keep playing wherever I can.”
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