DAYTON - Bridget Doherty loved playing soccer. Which may sound strange as the senior finance major is the starting setter on University of Dayton's volleyball team. While she may be a volleyball star now, her roots in playing sports began with soccer.

"My first sport was soccer and was far and away my favorite sport through my childhood and into high school," Doherty reflected. "I still love to watch it and wish I was still playing but I made the right decision in pursuing volleyball when it came time to choose. I love watching the soccer games at Baujan Field right after practice in Frericks Center and have so much respect for college soccer players!"

Her first foray into playing volleyball came in fourth grade after being introduced to the game by her neighbors at the end of the Doherty family's cul-de-sac in Overland Park, Kansas.

"I really didn't know a lot about the game but liked setting right off the bat. I was one of the last girls to make their overhead serves as we grew older and that was one of the most frustrating parts of the game for me, but in turn forced me to grow.

"I keep a special eye out for the girls struggling with their serves at camps now because I still remember how that got to me when I was young. It's funny how now serving is my favorite part of my game now and how I get to score points or force teams out of system to put my team in the best position."

Doherty's journey to Dayton was a winding one. As an unrecruited senior, she showed up to camp at UD still trying to decide if she even wanted to play sports in college.

"I was getting looks from colleges in my area in the midst of club season," Doherty remembered. "I was flattered and surprised that they were even interested in me. I wasn't really sure I would have the chance to play until it happened. I was shaky on if volleyball was something I wanted to do in college. I wanted the chance to play at a Division I school that I loved but that didn't seem to be in the cards until my last shot - summer volleyball camp at UD."
She had nothing to lose over those three days at camp and she played like it.

"I was the oldest, non-committed kid in the gym and I was determined to prove that I belonged," explained Doherty. "Not the best kid in the gym, sloppy form but worked hard and knew how to compete. Before long I found myself on the top court. When I entered the gym the first day of camp, none of the coaches knew my name. By the time I walked out three days later, coach Horsmon took a chance on me and offered me a walk-on position."

As a freshman, Doherty was able to earn playing time and found her way into the starting lineup four times. At the end of her first season as a Flyer, she was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie Team and honored by her fellow Flyer student-athletes with the RUDYS award for Female Rookie of the Year.

"As a walk-on, there was no guarantee of playing time, let alone scholarship, but I threw myself wholeheartedly into the volleyball program. I was able to earn playing time as a freshman and have continued to prove to myself working for and earning a starting spot all four years," Doherty said. "I invested myself into the culture and bought in to what it means to be a Dayton Flyer volleyball player. Of course that means discipline, grit, accountability and legacy.

"Over the course of my time here, I was able to prove to myself, my teammates and my coaches that I can play at this level and was awarded an athletic scholarship. I have loved the challenge of being a walk-on student-athlete. In addition, I was selected to be a captain both my junior and senior seasons. If you would have told me all of this was possible as a high school senior, I would have called you crazy. This place has challenged me to grow in ways I never would have thought were possible if not for college athletics and the chance my coaches took on me."

When asked about Doherty, Dayton volleyball head coach Tim Horsmon said, "Bridget is one of the great stories you will hear or read about. She came in as a walk-on, and will leave our program as a captain, starter and multiple-year conference champion. She is the epitome of hard work and class. Bridget is one of my favorite people on and off of the court and represents our program at the highest level."

Doherty credits coach Horsmon as a huge athletic influence in her life.

"He has taught me the value of loyalty, honesty and discipline," she said. "He has treated me like family since the day I walked in and we have both grown and learned from each other over my four years here.

"He had belief in me that I didn't always have in myself and held me accountable for playing better than I thought I was capable of. He has given me more opportunities to play at this level than I thought were possible. I owe a lot to this program, and I know that starts with him. I have the utmost respect for him as a coach and more so as a person."

"I'm sure so much of this sounds cliche, but I have shared with people around me that I would be a proud dad if my daughter Laini grows up with the strength and character that Bridget demonstrates in how she lives each day," Horsmon continued. "Bridget makes us laugh and is just a cool young woman to be around. She will be really missed when she leaves our program and we won't get to see her every day."

She also gives credit to Sarah Cretors and former Saint Louis volleyball player Angela Principe, her coaches at Saint Thomas Aquinas High School, as guiding forces on her road to making playing volleyball in college possible.

"They ground me, give me direction and make me laugh. They both were a huge reason I fell in love with the sport in high school and decided to take a chance in pursuing it. They pushed me and challenged me in ways that prepared me for the grind of college volleyball. If it weren't for them, I would not be who I am or where I am as a college athlete."

Doherty's family has also been an integral part of her success as both a person and an athlete, citing her parents as her biggest fans.

"My family means the world to me and has influenced me on every level. My parents have been my biggest fans and allowed me to pursue what I was interested in at every age" Doherty explained. "They set groundwork and taught me the importance of different virtues and morals as I was growing up, and then gave me the autonomy to make my own decisions as a young adult. I am so lucky to have parents that not only teach me, but lead by example. My dad has shown me the value of hard work and has taught me to embrace hard work as opposed to running from it. My mom has shown incredible perseverance and still shows up for me every day. Their commitment to my volleyball career has been unwavering since I picked up a ball."

As her final season as a Flyer winds down in an untraditional way – Dayton is playing its 2020 season in the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic – Doherty is thankful for her time at the university.

"My favorite college memories will be with my teammates that stood by me in the good, the bad and the ugly," Doherty closed with. "Some outrageously fun road trips, team meals, hard practices and loud home matches have meant the world to me. When I look at who I was walking into Frericks Center for the first time and who I am today, I know I owe a lot to this place and these people. My teammates through the years have been my rock. I think I have been so lucky to have been a part of four great teams of young women that have battled with and celebrated each other. I can't explain how grateful I am to have been impacted by every Flyer I've had the opportunity to play with."

Horsmon's closing statement about his senior setter: "Keep an eye on Bridget Doherty ... she will be doing great things in this world! She is truly a Dayton Flyer and continues the legacy of elite women that have made this program great."