Future looks bright for Bentley and his ‘Super Six’

Bison women recruit six Manitobans for the 2006-07 season

Sheri Lamb

Chemistry is the key to success – this is what is usually heard in sports. But it doesn’t magically appear, and no one can say for sure why some teams fail to meet expectations while other teams exceed what’s expected of them.

Bison women’s volleyball head coach Ken Bentley knows there’s no easy explanation for this phenomenon.

“You run into groups that just have a special dynamic among them, and as a coach you can’t always explain it,” said Bentley. “Just like there’s some groups that you always hoped would be a little bit stronger and never really go there, you can’t explain that either.”

Friendship and respect among teammates seem to be two things, though, that make the difference for successful teams, and if this holds up then the Bisons may have just set themselves up for five years of glory.

In a belated Christmas gift for Bentley, six of the top high school women’s volleyball players committed to the herd in early January. The six standout athletes include the 2004 Sport Manitoba female youth athlete of the year award winner Ashley Voth, along with Sarah Morrissette, Amy Penner, Christine Ewert, Monica Chernichan and Amy Sigfusson.

While all but two of the women attend different high schools (Morrissette and Chernichan both played for College Jean Sauve), all six have played together for the past three years on the Bison club team, which Bentley coaches.

“We’ve established that rapport and that’s really nice to know going into next year, that not only do I have a great group of kids there now who’ve got a similar rapport, but I’m bringing a group in where there’s no learning curve associated with a new coach, a new university, new everything. That part has been eliminated,” said Bentley.

“It’s a huge advantage in my mind and it’s been demonstrated over the years that that’s always been a big part of our success,” said the 19-year coach of the women’s team.

Bentley has coached the Bisons to four national championships (1990 to 92 and 2001), three silver medals and four bronze medals.

When it came down to deciding what to do with their futures, the women decided it would be fun to stay together for as long as they can.

Bentley says the women work well together and all of them have enough maturity to know the role they’ll play for the Bisons next year.

“The nice thing about this group is they’re very good players right now, but they accept and understand that they aren’t all going to play right away and they’re good with it,” said Bentley.

Seventeen-year-old Voth is likely one player who could be a starter next year for the Bisons, as the St. Mary’s Academy student was presented with the Mike Burchuck award for the top graduating female volleyball player who best exemplifies exceptional volleyball skills, leadership and academic achievement.

“This is just another indication that it’s coming and it’s really going to be soon,” said Voth.

Voth admits to having other offers, but insists the decision to play for the Bisons was easy, since she wants to stay close to home and continue to play for Bentley and with her friends.

“I think because we have such a good friendship we have the ability to help each other when we need help, we can push each other and we all know each other really well so that it won’t hurt our feelings or anything,” said Voth.

Ewert, who graduated from Mennonite Brethren Collegiate in 2005, concurs with Voth about the closeness among the young women.

“When we started playing club volleyball we began to talk about should we go here, should we go there, and we kind of made the decision as a group. Knowing who you’re going to be playing with makes it easier,” said Ewert.

Penner joins the Bisons from River East Collegiate, while Sigfusson comes out of Silver Heights Collegiate.