Friday Notebook: Bellinger leads UNA to final
*Blake Toppmeyer*
Hitters and blockers often grab the headlines, but usually, it all centers around the setter. And while not as thrilling as a resounding kill, a soft set is often the key to each point.
When it comes to setters, the University of Northern Alabama’s senior Laura Bellinger is in a class of the elite. She entered the NCAA Div. II tournament ranked twelfth in the nation with 12.71 assists per game.
“Laura is a huge leader for us,” UNA head coach Stephanie Radecki said. “And obviously, being a setter she’s kind of like a quarterback and without that person doing what they need to do well, it’s hard for the rest of team to do their jobs.”
Bellinger was, to no surprise, on top of her game in UNA’s round two matchup against Truman State University. Bellinger, the South Central Player of the Year and an All-American last year, led the Lions with 75 assists and hit .353 in UNA’s 3-2 win against the Bulldogs. The 75 assists were one off the UNA school record.
In game one, Bellinger came out firing on all cylinders, setting to perfection and leading UNA to an early 8-6 lead before the Bulldogs came back to take the game. She hit an incredible .714 for the game, adding five kills to her 16 assists.
Bellinger’s play was instrumental to the Lions’ win in game three, the turning point in the match. She had an astonishing 22 assists game three while rallying the Lions to a 30-25 game win. Solid from start to finish, a perfect Bellinger set led to a kill by senior Dee Ayres to put the nail in the coffin in game three.
“I tried to [boost] the players confidence [in game three],” Bellinger said. “I think we were very timid and in our own heads in the first two games. Then, we started playing with confidence and just playing our game instead of worrying about what they were doing. So I think that was a big turnaround for us, playing with confidence.”
The performance of Bellinger in game three jumpstarted the Lions. They took games four and five to advance to the South Central Regional finals and snapped the Bulldogs’ 36-match winning streak.
Bellinger’s importance to the Lions was seen in other areas besides her sets. The senior is the floor general for UNA, paralleling the role of a quarterback for a football team or the point guard in basketball. She leads the huddles after points, issuing advice such as “watch for the tip” and gives strategic hand signals before serves.
“The girls and I look to each other for advice so I mean everyone is a leader in their own right out on that court,” Bellinger said. “Going into a big game like this, you just got to fight for every point and be a leader by example.”
While known for her setting ability, the all-around athleticism of Bellinger can be seen in other assets of her game. Often, she will make a crucial dig or send a tip kill over the front line of the defense for a point. She amassed a triple double against the Bulldogs, reaching double figures in kills, digs, and assists, the fourth time she has accomplished that feat this season.
Still, for all of her skills, no one can argue that her setting is the backbone of her game. Bellinger set to perfection against the Bulldogs. She delivered high, textbook sets to whatever direction necessary, leading the hitters and giving them the best possible chance for a kill.
Because of Bellinger’s extreme talent, Truman head coach Jason Skoch acknowledged that his team prepared for Bellinger prior to their loss against the Lions.
“Yeah, we usually do [prepare for setters],” Skoch said. “Last time we played her, we shut her down. We just weren’t there [tonight]. We just didn’t play our best.”
The talent of Bellinger in the setting department was magnified against the Bulldogs. Bellinger racked up more assists in the match than the entire Bulldog team combined. And while the Bulldogs came into the match ranked No. 1 in the nation, there’ no denying they could have used a setter like Bellinger.
“Laura Bellinger is amazing,” Bulldog senior Sarah Shearman said. “We just have to give her credit. … She knew how to feed her hitters.”
Hitters and blockers often grab the headlines, but usually, it all centers around the setter. And while not as thrilling as a resounding kill, a soft set is often the key to each point.
When it comes to setters, the University of Northern Alabama’s senior Laura Bellinger is in a class of the elite. She entered the NCAA Div. II tournament ranked twelfth in the nation with 12.71 assists per game.
“Laura is a huge leader for us,” UNA head coach Stephanie Radecki said. “And obviously, being a setter she’s kind of like a quarterback and without that person doing what they need to do well, it’s hard for the rest of team to do their jobs.”
Bellinger was, to no surprise, on top of her game in UNA’s round two matchup against Truman State University. Bellinger, the South Central Player of the Year and an All-American last year, led the Lions with 75 assists and hit .353 in UNA’s 3-2 win against the Bulldogs. The 75 assists were one off the UNA school record.
In game one, Bellinger came out firing on all cylinders, setting to perfection and leading UNA to an early 8-6 lead before the Bulldogs came back to take the game. She hit an incredible .714 for the game, adding five kills to her 16 assists.
Bellinger’s play was instrumental to the Lions’ win in game three, the turning point in the match. She had an astonishing 22 assists game three while rallying the Lions to a 30-25 game win. Solid from start to finish, a perfect Bellinger set led to a kill by senior Dee Ayres to put the nail in the coffin in game three.
“I tried to [boost] the players confidence [in game three],” Bellinger said. “I think we were very timid and in our own heads in the first two games. Then, we started playing with confidence and just playing our game instead of worrying about what they were doing. So I think that was a big turnaround for us, playing with confidence.”
The performance of Bellinger in game three jumpstarted the Lions. They took games four and five to advance to the South Central Regional finals and snapped the Bulldogs’ 36-match winning streak.
Bellinger’s importance to the Lions was seen in other areas besides her sets. The senior is the floor general for UNA, paralleling the role of a quarterback for a football team or the point guard in basketball. She leads the huddles after points, issuing advice such as “watch for the tip” and gives strategic hand signals before serves.
“The girls and I look to each other for advice so I mean everyone is a leader in their own right out on that court,” Bellinger said. “Going into a big game like this, you just got to fight for every point and be a leader by example.”
While known for her setting ability, the all-around athleticism of Bellinger can be seen in other assets of her game. Often, she will make a crucial dig or send a tip kill over the front line of the defense for a point. She amassed a triple double against the Bulldogs, reaching double figures in kills, digs, and assists, the fourth time she has accomplished that feat this season.
Still, for all of her skills, no one can argue that her setting is the backbone of her game. Bellinger set to perfection against the Bulldogs. She delivered high, textbook sets to whatever direction necessary, leading the hitters and giving them the best possible chance for a kill.
Because of Bellinger’s extreme talent, Truman head coach Jason Skoch acknowledged that his team prepared for Bellinger prior to their loss against the Lions.
“Yeah, we usually do [prepare for setters],” Skoch said. “Last time we played her, we shut her down. We just weren’t there [tonight]. We just didn’t play our best.”
The talent of Bellinger in the setting department was magnified against the Bulldogs. Bellinger racked up more assists in the match than the entire Bulldog team combined. And while the Bulldogs came into the match ranked No. 1 in the nation, there’ no denying they could have used a setter like Bellinger.
“Laura Bellinger is amazing,” Bulldog senior Sarah Shearman said. “We just have to give her credit. … She knew how to feed her hitters.”
posted by Conor Nicholl at Friday, November 10, 2006
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