The Bellevue College volleyball team had had a lot of success this year and in recent years. One of the reasons the team has been so successful comes in the form of a middle blocker named Darian Foley. Foley is a sophomore from Port Angeles High School and is one of four sophomores on the team this year. Foley began playing volleyball at a young age after she grew tired of other sports.
“I started in seventh grade when my school was having it. So I decided to try out for this because I was bored of soccer. So I have stuck with it ever since.” She kept with it and is now one of the top players on the team.
She is considered a leader by her teammates as well as by her coach, Kimberly Culliton. Culliton believes that Foley is not the typical type of leader.
“I think Darian leads more by example than anything. She doesn’t talk a ton, she doesn’t have many words of wisdom. She is more of a chill person. But when she gets on the court, I think she leads by example with her intensity and her desire to win.”
However, Foley believes that, “I have my ups and downs, but I feel for the most part that I can show some leadership here and there.” Her team and coaches refer to her as a leader on the court with her passion for the game and drive to win every game and every play.
On the court, Darian has been a real stand-out player. Most recently, she has won Offensive Player of the Week honors for week three in the north division.
Culliton reflected on Darian’s skills on the court. “She probably hits the ball the hardest on the team and it frequently hits the 10-foot line which is a really good thing to be able to do with the way she jumps and have it land so close to the net on the other side.”
Not only does she affect the opponents with her ability, she affects her teammates and the crowd, “people can expect some big hits and big blocks from her,” said Culliton. “She makes her teammates get really excited. They start pounding on the floor when she does something well because it is so epic when she does it. Even in practice the other day, she had a really amazing hit and we are still talking about it today. And that was just in practice,” said Culliton.
Even with all this praise for her ability, Darian still knows there is always room for improvement. “I can improve on my blocking and my passing because you can always improve.”
Darian’s goals for this season are set high for her and her team. “I want us to be undefeated from here on out and to win NWAACC [Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges] because I know our team is good enough to do it.” The team is strong and Darian’s ability only makes them better.