LEWISTON, Maine -- After a productive spring and fall, the Bates volleyball team is ready to roll entering the program's second season under head coach Emily Hayes. The Bobcats host Husson Tuesday at 6pm in Alumni Gymnasium. 

"We finally have our feet underneath us as a program," Hayes said. "It has been incredible going through this preseason with this team so far, and the amount of ownership this team has over expectations, standards, our core values, has been really, really cool to see blossom so soon."

The Bobcats have a pair of captains this year in junior Emma Eide (Ramsey, N.J.) and the team's lone senior, Madison Broda of Portland, Maine. 

"This program would not be as kind, or selfless, or dedicated to the behind the scenes work, if we didn't have Maddy on our team," Hayes said. "We recently did a role exercise, and so I got to read, specifically, what all of her teammates and coaches see her bring to our program, and it's incredible. She is someone who wants none of the credit, but wants to do all of the work." 

Eide is the starting setter for Bates, coming off a strong sophomore season that saw her average 6.51 assists per set, good for eighth in the NESCAC. 

"Being a setter myself, Emma and I have a great relationship on and off the court," Hayes said. "She has all the tools and it's really cool to see, both her and sophomore Chrissy Chu (Old Tappan, N.J.), really grow into that setter position. It's so exciting to see them continue to build that confidence and relationship with their attackers." 

Eide and Chu will look to set up a number of talented hitters this season, starting with sophomore Alyssa Lowther (Wyckoff, N.J.), who led the team in 2021 with 2.58 kills per set. 

"We do a lot of personality work, and Alyssa and I are very similar in that regard," Hayes said. "So I find it pretty easy to give her direct feedback, which makes the interactions easier, and she has grown. She's grown in her back row defense, she's grown in her attack, and we're excited to have three more years with her." 

One of the team's top returnees on the back row is sophomore Kate Hansen (Menlo Park, Calif.), who despite being a defensive specialist standing just five-feet, four inches, brings an attacker's mentality to the game. Hansen led the NESCAC in service aces last season with 53. 

"Kate is great at everything she does, whether it's bringing the energy, or being solid in the back row, or attacking from the back row," Hayes said. "We're really looking at her potentially attacking for us back there. And I mean from a serving perspective, she has a really great float serve. So she's able to use her athleticism and get up in the air, and have a nice, high, consistent toss that allows her to have that trajectory on the ball that we always want." 

The Bobcats also have a very impressive group of six first-years, all of whom shined in the team's intra squad "First Serve" scrimmage last week at Alumni Gym. 

"This group has been eager to dive into Bates College and Bates volleyball, and they're some of the nicest people, but also the most driven and coachable people," Hayes said. "Preseason is always interesting because you don't know what you're going to get. You come in with a brand new team every year, and this group of six has been asking questions and leaning on the returners, and really making an immediate impact in our gym, and also in the weight room. So it's been great to see them beginning to thrive." 

Bates volleyball is very active on social media, recently unveiling a TikTok account, run by new assistant coach Natalie Klotz. 

"As a program, we want to win everything that we do," Hayes said. "So we want to be winning the day, or winning the drill, or winning with regards to engagement. Whether it's engaging with recruits, or families, or friends, or our alumni base, it's really a cool opportunity in a day where social media can have a lot of negative effects on society, we can use it to bring smiles to people's faces." 

For Hayes, what would bring a smile to her face this year is seeing the Bobcats continue to establish a strong culture within the program. 

"When you have a team that knows what's expected and is bought into those expectations, it's a game changer," Hayes said. "We have a really special group of returners who did a lot of work in the spring season and who knew that we had a lot of newcomers coming into our program, and so they have been taking on that responsibility. I definitely feel comfortable holding them to that standard, and having those tough conversations because we have that base now of trust and respect at the foundation everything we do."