Sept. 17, 2015
By Riley Duncan
UTSports.com
As the Vols have gotten off to their best start in more than 40 years, Bridgette Villano has been a consistent, steadying force on the back row, leading the team in both digs (207) and digs/set (4.81).
A junior libero out of Davie, Florida, Villano has shined in Knoxville, even bringing home MVP honors from the DISH Tennessee Volleyball Classic earlier this month.
Before the team heads to Raleigh, N.C. this weekend, we caught up with Bridgette Villano to get to know her a little better.
Q: What does it mean to you to start the season off 12-0?
A:
Just a lot of energy. We're bringing the name Tennessee Volleyball back to this program, and that's a really great and honorable thing to do for us as a team. But for now, we're just staying focused on each and every next game. That's our main focus right now, not the 12-0 so much, but our next opponent and then just keeping the streak going for as long as we can.
Q: Head Coach Rob Patrick mentioned last week that much of the team stayed in Knoxville and worked out really hard during the summer offseason. How did that work?
A:
We came in every day and did open gyms, we did lifts, runs, all voluntary work. Our goal this year is to obviously be better than last year, but also to come together as a team and win as a team. We really just want to bring that name back. In order to do that, we needed to come in during the summer. We made a decision to work extra hard this summer and it's really paying off now.
Q: Who were the players leading those workouts?
A:
It's more of a team effort in the summer, but our leadership group: me, Megan [Hatcher], Lexi [Dempsey], and Raina [Hembry] really led the group in the summer.
Q: Does this team feel different than previous years?
A:
Yes, extremely. This year I just think of them as my sisters. My teammates are my sisters. We would do anything for each other and -- I don't know -- it's just different. The chemistry is a lot different this year. It's hard to explain, I guess you just have to feel it.
Q: Why did you choose Tennessee?
A:
Just the spirit of the school. This was my first offer and I accepted it right away, just because when I came here it was more of a family, and the support for women's athletics here especially along with just the fan base and the girls, it was just amazing. I'm proud to call myself a Vol.
Q: When did you first start playing volleyball? Did you play any other sports?
A:
I started playing volleyball when I was 13, and I ran track in high school.
Q: What other hobbies do you have?
A:
I like to run a lot in my free time. It's kind of boring, but...
Q: How many miles are we talking?
A:
I will like jog and then walk and then jog. It's kind of cold now and I'm a Florida girl so I'm not really going outside too much in the next couple months. But I'm going to say about two miles, maybe.
Q: I was afraid you were going to say like, thirteen.
A:
No, no. I'm not crazy like that.
Q: What is something that you are very passionate about?
A:
Definitely my schoolwork. I love school and I love my classes right now, and I take a lot of pride in my grades.
Q: What are you studying?
A:
Political Science.
Q: What do you want to do after your career at Tennessee?
A:
I want to go to law school. Not sure where, but I want to study Intellectual Property Law. That's what I'm thinking right now. It might change.
Q: Do you have any pet peeves?
A:
Pinching, being pinched. I feel like no one likes being pinched, though. But I just can't stand it. And people popping their gum.
Q: If you had to choose one karaoke song to sing, what would it be?
A:
Probably 'Baby Got Back.'
