The Cascades have their sparkplug in Lauren Attieh. She commands the floor with her exuberant presence throughout the game. Bitter, on the other hand, is UFV’s quiet and stoic veteran. But now, after leading by example for so many years, Bitter’s words hold gravity. When she speaks, as infrequent as that might be, everyone knows that it’s something important.
Bitter grew up playing club volleyball against the likes of Attieh, Mo Likness, Emily Matsui, and Alicja Hardy-Francis, who all joined forces on the same side at UFV, and developed a winning culture for the Cascades. It’s hard not to connect the dots between this team’s ascension and having Gabrielle Attieh join their squad for her final season in U SPORTS. The eldest Attieh sister brought championship experience from her time as a Thunderbird, but also a wise, calming, and steadfast approach to the game of volleyball.
That Cascades culture has been noticed by Volleyball Canada, who invited both Bitter and L. Attieh to international tournaments this past summer. In an interview with The Cascade, Bitter said she wants to bring faster ball movement from international play back with her to UFV. Of course, Attieh already has experience in a faster tempo style of game, but Bitter thinks her fellow Cascades will be able to keep up in a faster offence as well. Culture can often be a by-product of depth, and with UFV’s multiple threats on the court, if one person is having a bad day, there’s a good chance another can pick up their slack.
Bitter got a last minute phone call from the team’s head coach before Volleyball Canada’s NextGen team headed off to Colima, Mexico. He told her that one of their setters couldn’t make the tournament and that she was next on their list to fill the spot, which Bitter was grateful to accept.
“When I started playing volleyball, that was a goal, like, I want to go and do this, play for Canada. When I got the chance this summer, it’s definitely not something you take for granted, because the first could be the last time. You never know. So I really tried to soak it in.”
The setter is one of volleyball’s most underlooked but important positions. A lot of times, they’re not the one with flashy kills, or sending bombs down the line. Bitter is relied upon to get the ball into the hands of UFV’s outside hitters, like the Attieh sisters, and Mandi Feist, who can put points on the board.
This Cascades women’s volleyball squad is focused on getting to nationals, which this year are being held locally at Trinity Western. After last year’s disappointing playoff exit, this is a team that now knows what it takes to be successful. Bitter puts 100 per cent of herself into the sport she plays, and sometimes, like last post-season against Saskatchewan, that means putting yourself in a very vulnerable position. She’s learned a lot about herself from playing with everything on the line, but mostly, that she isn’t capable of giving it one miniscule less than her entire being.
“I will put myself in that position time and time again, because volleyball is my passion. That’s what I love to do.”
