LEWISTON, Maine -- The Bates volleyball team has kept up a nifty streak over the past six seasons, notching an improved record in each successive year between 2014 (9-16) and 2019 (16-10). 

New head coach Emily Hayes, who was a student-athlete with an NCAA Championship-winning program at Hope College, says she believes in "doing everything with a championship mindset." Any championships the Bobcats might potentially win in 2021 would certainly mean a continuation of the program's improvement streak.

The new season begins Tuesday night with a non-conference match at in-state opponent Husson University starting at 7pm.

While many familiar faces remain from the 2019 season, there's little doubt this year signifies a new era for Bates volleyball, considering that (1) the Bobcats haven't played a match in nearly two calendar years, (2) have graduated the majority of the 2019 starting lineup, and of course (3) have a new coach in Hayes, who arrived at Bates this year after a successful tenure as head coach at Lewis & Clark College after Melissa DeRan resigned to pursue other professional opportunities.

Hayes and her new team have placed heavy emphasis on team-building during their preseason practice schedule, which began August 24. A day trip to one Bobcat's family camp on a nearby lake provided one great opportunity for team bonding. 

"We've been working really hard in the gym, but we've been balancing that with some team bonding and mental training: I'm big on the mental side of the game, as well as team building. There's so much newness, and we have to put a lot of focus into that, teammateship and all of those things."

On the practice court, Hayes is changing things up by challenging players to expand their overall volleyball-playing versatility, including less sharply defined positional roles and perhaps some team tactics unseen in recent seasons.

"I am big on (mixing and matching), which may be a big change for a lot of student-athletes," Hayes said. "You know, the game of volleyball is meant to blur the lines and think outside the box. Whether a tri-middle offense, or a different style of defense that works specifically for our team, there are a lot of changes that have gone on in Alumni Gym with our team, and the players have been really receptive to that."

Hayes credits multi-year assistant coaches Wyatt Emenaker and Rob Thompson with aiding the transition of the program from one head coach to another while being flexible and amenable to inevitable change. She gives similar credit to Bates' trio of seniors: defensive specialist Brettney Fuller (Temple, Texas), outside/rightside hitter Sydney Phillips (Plainville, Mass.) and defensive specialist Megan Seabury (Santa Barbara, Calif.).

"All three of them are absolutely fantastic and I couldn't imagine the team without them, and all three of them are bringing their A game into their last season," said Hayes.

Bates' junior class provides more vital pieces and varsity experience, with setter Emma Eide (Ramsey, N.J.), hitters Charlotte Morris (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Catie Sanchez (Pasadena, Calif.), and defensive specialist Madison Broda (Portland, Maine).

Bates' two classes of newcomers, comprising eight players -- sophomore outside/rightside hitter Cayla Deacon (Ellenwood, Ga.), sophomore middle hitter Alma Mackic (Lake Forest, Ill.), first-year setter Chrissy Chu (Old Tappan, N.J.), first-year hitter Julia Neumann (Norwell, Mass.), first-year defensive specialist Kendall Ng (Dix Hills, N.Y.), first-year defensive specialist Kate Hansen (Menlo Park, Calif.), first-year middle hitter Alyssa Lowther (Wyckoff, N.J.) and first-year hitter Katie Kortekaas (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) will doubtlessly have a say in the team's fortunes in the win/loss column. 

Bates will play its first five matches on the road before taking the floor at Alumni Gym for the first time on Sept. 22 against Maine Maritime Academy.

"I'm excited about it and about what we're building here," said Hayes. "It feels special when you're working through a tough drill or on the lake at a camp with this team, it feels like we really are building this unique family, and I'm really excited to see what we do next."