Borah Volleyball Program Articles
Borah Volleyball Program Articles
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Borah Volleyball: A Tribute to Our Seniors
Borah Volleyball: A Tribute to Our Seniors
October 27, 2021 - The Borah volleyball season has come to a close, but it doesn’t end without a special spotlight of our wonderful seniors.
Setter Brenna Magnuson, outside hitter Keli Kessel, outside hitter Tiana Borkovic, and middle blocker/right side Kiana Carr have all made an impact in the Borah Volleyball Program. To pay tribute, we wish to spotlight them to show our appreciation.
Brenna Magnuson
Brenna’s favorite part about being a Borah Lion is the atmosphere in the student body.
“Everyone is always nice, they have a positive attitude, and [they] are grateful for everything they have,” Brenna said.
Her favorite memory throughout her Borah volleyball career is during her freshman year. Her first year on varsity was a huge accomplishment and during that year she had grown and improved tremendously.
“My teammates and coaches were supportive, energetic, and so competitive,” Brenna said. “That year is something I will never forget.”
The one thing Brenna learned during her high school volleyball career that she will take with her throughout life is that everything happens for a reason.
“During my four years as a varsity athlete with three different head coaches and many club coaches, I have learned everything happens for a reason,” Brenna said. “They might not be the best outcomes but it comes down to how positive one looks at the situation.”
Some advice she would give to returning athletes is: “Always have confidence, don’t stoop to anyone’s level, don’t compare yourself to others. Always keep your head up and demand better from your teammates, coaches, and yourself.”
Brenna would like to thank her coaches, teammates, family, and friends for always supporting her.
This season, Brenna had seven aces, three kills, 96 assists, and 23 digs.
After high school, Brenna plans on attending a four-year university to study graphic design. While she will miss her family dearly, she is excited to venture out and start the next chapter in her life.
Congratulations, Brenna!
Keli Kessel
Keli’s favorite part about being a Borah Lion is all of the friendships and memories she made.
Her favorite volleyball memory was the program lip-sync battle her freshman year.
The one thing Keli learned during her high school volleyball career that she will take with her throughout life is that: “You win and lose as a team and at the end of the day, you are still a team and will get through the ups and downs together.”
If she could give any advice to returning athletes, it would be: “Work hard and give it your all but also enjoy every moment because it goes by faster than you think.”
Keli would like to thank all of her coaches, family, and friends for always pushing her to be the best version of herself and supporting her along the way.
This season, Keli had 12 aces, 47 kills, two assists, and 26 digs.
After high school, Keli plans on attending Boise State University where she wants to study nursing.
Congratulations, Keli!
Tiana Borkovic
Tiana’s favorite part about being a Borah Lion was the interactions she has had with the students.
Her favorite volleyball memory was: “The bruises you’d get on your knees when incorrectly going for something, and my teammates.”
The one thing Tiana learned during her high school volleyball career is that you need to be mentally ready to be able to compete with a new team of any kind.
Some advice she would give to returning players is: “Play in the moment and have the competitive headspace. Be open to new changes.”
Tiana would like to thank her coaches for giving her the headspace to improve; thank her teammates for giving her good feedback, support, and an uplifting environment; and thank her family and friends for always supporting her and being at her games.
This season, Tiana had nine aces, 45 kills, two blocks, three assists, and 21 digs.
After high school, Tiana plans to attend Boise State University.
Congratulations, Tiana!
Kiana Carr
Kiana’s favorite part about being a Borah Lion is the friendships she has made over the years, and being part of the Borah student section at football and basketball games.
Her favorite Borah volleyball memory is the first game of her senior year playing against Capital High School. The energy the team had made the game so much fun for her. Her second favorite memory was playing well against Meridian as a middle blocker before her season ended.
The one thing Kiana learned during her high school volleyball career that she will take with her throughout life is that: “Injures make you a better player because I had injuries that cut both of my varsity years short. The first one, I learned all the things I could do better in mind, [and] then I came into my senior year making those improvements.”
If she were to give returning players advice, it would be: “If you have very little playing time, it doesn’t mean that you’re bad. You just have to work hard for your spot and just know that you’re helping your team by being there helping them on placements and in-or-out calls.”
Kiana would like to thank her parents for convincing her to play her senior year because she thought her injury would prevent her from playing. She also would like to thank her coaches for making her a better hitter.
This season, Kiana had 11 kills, one block, one assist, and one dig.
After high school, Kiana, plans to attend the University of Montana to pursue a career in either Fish and Wildlife management or as a radiology technician.
Congratulations, Kiana!
The Borah Volleyball Program would like to thank the seniors for all of their hard work and for their dedication to this program. We appreciate you and all you’ve done, and we wish you the best of luck in the future!
Written by: Shelby Ashby, Elevate Your Athletics
Borah Volleyball Falls on Culture and Commitment to Aid in a Competitive 2021 Season
Borah Volleyball Falls on Culture and Commitment to Aid in a Competitive 2021 Season
September 23, 2021 - The Borah Lion volleyball program cruises into its 2021 season with heads held high and the motivation they need to grasp success as they battle for victories, both big and small, each week.
This year, Head Coach Ryan Kennelly and his entire coaching staff expects to compete across all levels of the program. To assist in reaching these expectations, the coaches strive on building athlete confidence through a positive and competitive program culture.
“From day [one], our coaches push our athletes to challenge their perception of their own limits and strive to assist in their development as players and individuals,” Coach Kennelly said.
Another tactic Coach Kennelly and the Borah volleyball coaching staff use to build confidence, culture, and a competitive mindset is utilizing program goal setting at the beginning and throughout the season. Each athlete and team set individual, team, and program goals for the season. Then, each week the team establishes three concepts to motivate and encourage athletes to perform to the best of their abilities.
“Together, we push each other and hold each other accountable to our commitments,” Coach Kennelly said.
During the 2021 season, the varsity Borah Lions consider their competition challenging, but with the appropriate tools, they don’t see it as anything they can’t handle.
“This season we have a schedule full of tough competition!” Coach Kennelly said. “I expect the league to be pretty competitive this fall and my hope is that through our program culture and team commitment to each other, we’ll be able to compete effectively with each team we face.”
In order to find success during the season, the varsity team puts focus on fundamental volleyball tasks both individually and collectively during practice. As the team begins to grow more comfortable with the fundamentals, they plan to focus on the more advanced aspects of the game.
During games, the Lions strive to apply the things they learned in practice and in previous games to step up and compete.
Thus far, the varsity Lions have had six total games. Altogether, they have a 1-6 record with an enthusiastic 5-set victory over Capital High School, the very first game of the season. Due to athlete injuries, sickness, and COVID-19 protocols, the team has struggled finding a rhythm, resulting in a handful of losses. However, some success cannot be found on the scoreboard.
“In my opinion, our record does not indicate the success we’re having on the court,” Coach Kennelly said. “We’re about at the halfway point in our season and the team we have playing today is a much stronger and more driven group of athletes than who started this season.”
One aspect of the game that has helped the varsity team find success on the court is their team comradery and selfless mindset.
“The girls on this team are a family and continue to put ‘We before Me,’” Coach Kennelly said. “We have a wide range of personalities that make this team and this season fun and unique.”
No matter the season record, Coach Kennelly is looking forward to seeing each team in the program grow, in many different ways this season.
“From sophomores to varsity, we are putting a lot of time, energy, and effort into building program success,” Coach Kennelly said. “Academic excellence, personal growth, team chemistry, program culture, and athletic excellence are all focus points of this season.”
Overall, Coach Kennelly and his coaching staff are appreciative of all the Borah Lions’ hard work and achievements thus far, especially one specific achievement the varsity team accomplished during one of the varsity games last week.
“I am very proud of how the varsity crew battled Timberline last week,” Coach Kennelly said. “We played Timberline High School during their homecoming week in an absolutely amazing and high-energy environment. The girls competed and battled for each and every point. While we didn’t take home the ‘W,’ we overcame some challenges we’ve been facing the last few weeks. Each week we continue to learn new areas of opportunities for us and are able to add a little more to our offensive repertoire!”
The Borah Lions are striding into their second half of the season with the motivation to continually learn, improve, and grow to grasp the successful season they desire.
So, come out and support your Borah Lions this season! You can find them defending the Lions den at their next home game on Tuesday, September 28. They compete against Capital at 4:30 p.m. (Sophomore), 5:30 p.m. (JV), and 6:30 p.m. (Varsity).
Written by: Shelby Ashby, Elevate Your Athletics
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