DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Playing varsity volleyball at Bellmont High School comes with a lot of perks – trips to the State Finals, top-level competition, a packed gym on most nights and a pretty good shot at playing college volleyball.
It also comes with a lot of pressure and high expectations. For a program that has not lost a match at a sectional in nearly 20 years, the bar is set pretty high.
Bellmont senior Jackie Sutter takes it all in stride, meeting each challenge much like her palm meets a perfectly-set volleyball on an attack.
“I feel like I have been able to mature in the game of volleyball just because of the situations my team and I have been through,” says Sutter. Each season, my team has been tested by the game both physically and mentally and we’ve learned to do it without panicking.”
From those experiences, Sutter feels she has gained the confidence to play with a calm demeanor and be someone her team can count on, as well as someone to whom younger teammates can look up when they need help.
A part of the varsity team since her first day as a student at BHS, Sutter has lived up to, and exceeded, all the expectations for the Braves.
Head coach Craig Krull, who holds the bar as high as any coach in the state of Indiana, only calls his tall senior hitter by one name – “Shorty.”
“Shorty has grown tremendously in the last two years,” says Krull. “She’s also learned that she will make mistakes and she’s matured in how she deals with them and recovers from them.”
The biggest change, says Krull, is how Sutter adapted her game to go from a player who rotated into the front line as a sophomore and freshman to a star who needs to be on the floor whether she’s on the front row or in the back row.
“She has realized that everything won’t be perfect and you have to work through the bad passes, serves, digs, sets, etc. and move on and focus on the next play,” says coach Krull. “Mentally she has grown up and can find a way to pursue that next point.”
Sutter has played plenty of points over the last two seasons, racking up 600 kills and reaching the 3A State Finals in back-to-back seasons.
Ranked in the top five in her class with a sparkling GPA of 4.20, Sutter enjoys being a part of the program and the sense of community it brings. As she reflects on the upcoming season, which will be her last as a Brave, she knows she will miss it.
“I will miss the community that has supported us most – from coming to all of our fundraisers, cheering us on at every game, lining the streets on our trip to state and always making the Teepee the best and loudest atmosphere to play in every week! The Bellmont volleyball community has been by our side throughout our highs and lows of each season and has shown what it means to be a true fan. I will forever cherish all the amazing memories created with my team that wouldn’t be possible without our great volleyball community!”
There’s still plenty left to accomplish, though, in her senior year.
“As a senior, I’m really excited for this year and the possibilities,” she says. “I’m determined to make this year fun, while bringing the intensity to every game and practice. As a team leader, I want to focus on helping the underclassmen succeed not just for this year, but in future years.”
Coach Krull knows that Sutter (or Shorty) has the maturity to become the leader of the team and has challenged her to do so.
“She is a huge part of this team and has put in the work to get that respect, but now as a senior, she needs to demand others to rally, fight through struggles and do their jobs as this season progresses.”
That same aggressiveness, says Krull, will help Sutter continue to get better on the court individually, too.
“Jackie needs to take a more aggressive approach to her role as an offensive and defensive player, demand the ball from the setter on offense and turn that into points, and then throw caution out the window when getting digs on defense.”
Sutter won’t be able to take all the points, of course, because she has a fellow “Twin Tower” hungry for points. Classmate and friend Delaney Lawson is headed to Utah State after her senior year. The 6’ 1” senior is just 38 kills away from 1,000 in her career.
The two tall seniors began their volleyball careers together on a 10U team for Team Pineapple. While they eventually went to different clubs and different middle schools, they reunited as freshmen and have been killing it (pun intended) ever since.
“It’s bittersweet playing beside her,” says Sutter, “knowing that we started our journey together and realizing we will be ending it together in high school. She has been a close friend since the day we have met and has always been the teammate that would push others to be the best version of themselves on the court.”
Noting Lawson’s commitment to D-I volleyball, Sutter notes that her life has a different path, one that does not include collegiate volleyball.
“I hope to keep playing intramurals or in a rec league,” she said of the sport that consumes her free time 52 weeks a year. “I hope to coach young girls some day and help them gain the confidence and skills to keep playing the game I fell in love with at such a young age.”
Krull, who knows a little about coaching the sport, thinks Sutter will be a perfect coach.
“She looks for the best in what she does and tries to help the team be successful. She has a great personality and it’s fun to see her smile and joke around with her teammates. She also has tons of volleyball knowledge and she helps when things might need to be adjusted.”
If coach Krull makes the right adjustments in 2023, Sutter’s career might just end with a medal around her neck. The Braves open their season on August 15th at Bishop Dwenger.
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