Sauk Valley Athlete of the Week: Bridget Call, Polo senior volleyball player

Name: Bridget Call

School: Polo

Sport: Volleyball

Why she was selected: The returning starter leads the team in kills and digs. She posted 32 kills in four wins on Sept. 28 to help Polo win its home tournament by tiebreaker for the second straight year.

Coach’s comments: “Her front row offensive role has been dominant, but she has really worked to develop her back row game through both serve receive and defense. She has been a key piece in our team’s success and has stepped into a captain role this season. She has continued to work hard and has plans to become a collegiate volleyball player.” – Katie Krogman

Bridget, when did you first get into volleyball and what made you get into it?

I first started playing volleyball in sixth grade for our school team. I had done plenty of camps and clinics that the high school volleyball team had hosted. After playing my first season, Jeanette Linker, the seventh grade coach, told me that I should join the club that was just over in Oregon, called Power Up. I played for Power Up for my first and their last season. After that, they became VC United in Rockford, which I still play for and have since sixth grade.

What do you like about volleyball? Has it taught you anything? Any specific strengths you have? Anything you have improved at as a senior this year?

I mean, what isn’t there to like about volleyball? It is such a fast-paced and high-skill game. The game has taught me so much that I don’t think I would have learned if I didn’t play. I have had to learn to trust my teammates, my coaches and my skill. To be good at volleyball, you need to have a high IQ on the court and be able to see what spots are open to give yourself the opportunity to score. This year as a senior, I will say that I have definitely improved on my encouragement and making sure that after every good play, I am super excited and that we are all fired up and ready for the next play.

You led the team with 32 kills, and Polo went 4-0 to win your home tournament over Milledgeville by tiebreaker. What was that like and how do you feel about how the team is playing right now?

It was the best thing winning that tournament for the second year in a row. We won last year in about the same circumstances, going 4-0 along with Milledgeville, and then winning based off of points allowed. It really showed that we have the power and resilience to beat all of these teams with the least amount of points scored on us, because we have shown it now two years in a row. I feel as though our team has our good games and our bad games, but nothing matters more than the bond we have with each other.

What is it like playing for this team? Do you guys have any main strengths?

Our main strength is our relationships with one another. There is absolutely never a dull moment, whether we are at practice, a game or tournament. This year’s varsity team is such a close knit team and we are all friends on and off the court. It was also like this for the 2022-2023 JV team because it was the classes of 2025 and 2026. There is just something about how we all interact with each other that makes this season better than any other. We just know how each other play and what works and doesn’t, so it is really nice being with teammates that know you top to bottom.

Do you have any goals for yourself this season? Does the team have any goals?

My goal for the season is just to be able to take it all in because this is my last season at PCHS and I know that I will never play with such a great group of girls with such great coaches again. We had a great season last year even with our sudden coach switches. Katie Krogman coming in and starting as varsity coach, she has done such a fantastic job rebranding the Polo Marcos volleyball program, and now with her sister, Karlie Krogman, as the JV coach, there is nothing that will be able to stop them from only bringing this program to the highest it’ll ever be.

Do you have a favorite athlete or sports team?

I don’t have a team that I specifically follow but I have loved the University of Iowa since I was young in middle school because my dad and I used to go to at least one of their games each season.

Any other hobbies, activities or sports you are involved in?

I don’t play any other sports but volleyball, but I do play club volleyball for VC United Elite in Rockford from December to June. So even if I wanted to play another sport, I don’t think I would even have time. I also work at The Rink at Pine Creek (formally The White Pines Roller Rink) so I would say my hobby outside of volleyball is roller-skating. That is the only thing that I have done longer than play volleyball because I started roller-skating when I was about 6 years old.

Do you have a favorite book or quote?

There isn’t a quote from a book or an article that I read that I loved, but one of my favorite things that someone has said to me was when my older sister Megan said, “Your energy and attitude on the court is what is going to get you places.” I didn’t believe it then, but now I completely understand what she meant.

Favorite restaurant or meal after a match?

Since there are so many, I can’t pick one, but I love Mexican food. It is sort of a tradition with my dad and I that whenever we travel somewhere for out-of-state volleyball tournaments, that we won’t get food anywhere that we could back home, which normally leads us to some local bar and grill or Mexican restaurant.

Favorite TV Show or movie? Favorite music artist or genre?

My favorite movie is “A Man Called Otto” and my favorite artist is either Kendrick Lamar, 21 Savage or Drake.