Bill defines Belles' athletics through consistent play
By MOLLY McVOY
Saint Mary's Editor
Consistency has been the key to the successes that Saint Mary's athletics have had and senior volleyball player Agnes Bill is the definition of quiet consistency.
Bill has started for the Belles each of her four years, typically at outside hitter, and has led the team in kills every one of those seasons.
"[Bill] is a good passer, a good defensive player, just a good all-around player," said Rhanda Shields, former head coach. "She is a player that has never really struggled in any area. She was always a go-to person."
Bill, a two-time first team All-MIAA honoree, has recorded more than 300 kills in each of her four seasons. She was awarded the Marvin Wood Outstanding Senior Athlete in 1999 and named the Belles' Most Valuable Player for the 1998 season. She was also MIAA Player of the Week in October,1998.
"No matter who the competition is, you have to go 110 percent," Bill said.
Bill has focused on the success of the team in her four seasons, and explained that being part of that group is what has motivated her throughout her career.
"Volleyball is one of those sports you can play for life," she said. " I really enjoy the intensity of the game and being part of a team. I always try to motivate the other people on the team."
Shields saw the emphasis Bill put on teamwork throughout the season.
"Agnes had the winning attitude to do what it took to win," she said. "She was very team oriented; that came first."
Fellow teammate Mary Rodovich sees more than a mere team player in Bill.
"Even though she wants the best for the team, she also wants to improve herself," Bill said. "She is most definitely a team player, though."
When asked what she does to motivate herself, she explained that she simply concentrates on improving her mastery of the basic skills of volleyball in every game.
"I just motivate myself by really concentrating on my form," she said.
Rodovich could not quite put her finger on what made Bill so successful, however.
"I don't know what it is about Agnes," Rodovich said. "She just has this natural fire in her that drives her to do her best and do the best for the team. It just must be something inside of her."
Bill's leadership on the court often came in her ability to step up and make the kill or the dig at a key moment in a game. She either led or finished second in digs for the team each season, always recording more than 300. Bill recorded an uncommon 20 kills and 20 digs in a November loss to Kalamazoo College.
Her leadership, however, extended well beyond her playing ability.
"She's very dedicated and brings so much energy to the court," Rodovich said. "She's very determined."
Aside from her leadership on the court, Bill was the athletic commissioner for Saint Mary's Board of Governance and a team captain for her junior and senior years.
"She played for four years and, by her senior year, she had developed good leadership skills where everyone looked up to her," Shields said.
Bill explained that the experiences as an athlete at Saint Mary's have helped her leadership skills. The competition and teamwork have helped prepare her for the world she will enter after graduation.
"[Being an athlete] really helps you develop into a person," Bill said. "It helps you with time management, working with others and being able to communicate with all different ages."
Aside from the skills, both athletic and academic, that Bill will take with her from Saint Mary's, she explained that she will take much more than memories from her college career.
"Most importantly, I'll take the friendships I've developed both through sports and in my classes," she said. "I've made so many friends from all over the country."
Bill attended Badin High School in Hamilton, Ohio and will graduate with a degree in communications. After graduation, she will begin a job in advertising for the Discovery Channel.
All Sports Stories for Friday, May 19, 2000
