This isn’t particularly unique to Bethlehem Academy, but spend enough time around the Cardinals and you start to see the same athletes.
Look down at the program and the names are familiar. You’re at a basketball game and think to yourself, isn’t she the softball team’s pitcher? You’re at a volleyball match and you go, isn’t she the basketball team’s starting point guard? Doesn’t she also play third base?
Cardinal volleyball captains Anna Tobin, Olivia Glumack and Caitlin Bothun aren’t special in this regard, because yes, if you look over there, Morgan Wilson, who is in fact the softball team’s ace pitcher, is warming up with a volleyball. Nevertheless, the trio is a good representation of the never-ending nature of high school sports.
Which does bring up the question, as their first of many seasons are set to begin, do they ever get tired?
“I think, yes,” Tobin, whose hallmark is tenaciously relentless play. “I think that would happen with any athlete, but it’s also remembering you only have a certain amount of time left. You never know when it’s gonna be your last game. You never know when it will be your last practice. So telling yourself that pushing through that every single day is important.”
In this case the Cardinals are looking to make good on the fact that they have plenty of veterans. Last season Bethlehem Academy managed double-digit wins in conference play, falling just behind Kenyon-Wanamingo for a league title.The Cardinals weren’t quite as consistent out of conference, but if that changes it’s an entirely different story in 2024 when the postseason rolls around.
And that comes back to the value of having a veteran roster.
“It’s awesome,” head coach Chris Bothun said. “Because these girls have been playing together and have been successful. I think their JV year, when they were all on it together, they were undefeated, at least in the conference. And so I just think that’s nice, because they push each other to compete. They have higher expectations. They’ve just played very well together. They want the feedback. They want to continue to have that success.”
Bethlehem Academy’s success at-large in girls volleyball only adds to the feeling of wanting to chase down more success. To some extent there’s only so much you can do about roster sizes and talent pools, but when there’s a tradition to uphold, there’s just a little bit more pressure in the back of your mind.
“I think it makes you work harder,” the younger Bothun said. “Because it pushes you more to reach a goal and to make your whole program better.”
That in the end is all any senior wants. Bothun might have time left in her career, but Tobin and Glumack are coming towards the end of the ride and all they want is to leave their mark, and to enjoy each moment.
“Seeing all these older girls graduate above me,” Tobin said. “[early on] you truly do take everything for granted, and then all of a sudden it’s over in the blink of an eye. I just played my last practice. I just played my last game, or, even once you get to the postseason — this could be my last one. So it’s not taking those singular practices or singular games for granted.”
Fortunately for these three, they have a lot of seasons left in the tank in 2024-25. But they’re just taking them one at a time. The long haul officially started Friday, as the Cardinals were set to host Eden Prairie at 7:15 p.m.
“Having teammates at all do all three and having that kind of support if you need to go to someone [really helps],” Glumack said.
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