In her three years on the varsity volleyball team, senior Bailey Osborn has been overshadowed by older teammates and bitter losses. But now, the attention is hers.
As the only senior entering her fourth year on the varsity team, Osborn is prepared to dominate MCALs in her final season before college. After recently committing to San Diego State University’s Division I volleyball program, Osborn now has a clear vision for leading the Redwood team.
“My goals for the season are to be the Player of the Year and win MCALs,” Osborn said. “The Player of the Year has to be on the winning team, so my two goals intermingle.”
However, her role on the team has changed since she was an underclassman.
“When I was a freshman and sophomore, I never had a secure starting spot on the court, which kept me motivated to keep working hard,” Osborn said. “But this year, having to be a role model and knowing that younger kids are competing against me is different for me.”
Throughout her time at Redwood, Osborn has had many accomplishments on the court, including three consecutive second place MCAL finishes to Branson, and NCS Championships her freshman and junior seasons. She also earned Second Team All-League honors as a sophomore and junior, and finished last season with a .418 kill percentage.
Osborn attributes much of her success to Redwood’s varsity coach, Katie Pease.
“My coach holds me to a higher standard, this year especially. Katie has been my coach since I was 11, so I’ll never have that same kind of relationship with a coach,” Osborn said. “She never lets me take a day off, which I appreciate, because I would never be where I am now without her.”
Osborn’s performances drew the attention of many colleges, which led to a rigorous recruiting process. After contacting coaches daily and switching from Absolute Volleyball Club to the more competitive Red Rock Volleyball Club, located an hour and a half away in Redwood City, Osborn received offers from schools including Dartmouth College, Loyola University Maryland, Columbia University, West Point University, and UC Irvine.
But her mind was set on one school.
“When I went down to Southern California to visit schools, and went to San Diego State, I was like, ‘This is where I need to be,’” Osborn said. “Most of the girls were super competitive and made sure I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.”
According to Osborn, her decision was unorthodox. When she received her offer from UC Irvine, she was given only two weeks to make her decision. On her way to an end-of-the-year tournament that San Diego State was attending, Osborn called UC Irvine’s coach, Paula Weishoff, to accept the offer due to fear of lacking better options from other schools.
“The schools I was looking for were Division I in Southern California, close to the beach, and with warm weather. That’s where I wanted to be, and Irvine fits that criteria,” she said.
Osborn said that she played the entire tournament committed to UC Irvine, while Weishoff and SDSU coach Deitre Collins-Parker were both in the stands.
However, several weeks after the tournament concluded, Osborn received a call from SDSU’s Collins-Parker on July 3, expressing her interest and the challenges Osborn would face.
“She basically said, ‘I know if you were going to be here, you would be coming on as the last spot on the roster. And I know you told me you were going to leave as the best if I let you sign here, but what if that never happens?’ I said, ‘that’s not something you’re going to have to worry about,’” Osborn said. “As soon as I said that, she offered me the spot.”
But Osborn still had loose ends to tie with UC Irvine.
“De-committing to Irvine was one of the hardest calls I’ve ever had to make because it was a school I was really excited about. The coach is awesome, super supportive of me, and a three- time Olympic medalist,” she said. “There’s something totally different about a coach wanting you and you wanting a coach and their school.”
Osborn said that she would want to go to SDSU even if she did not play volleyball.
“Some people don’t commit to their dream school, and are worried about their decision, but I don’t have to worry about that because San Diego is my dream school,” she said.
Once at San Diego State, Osborn will have to overcome obstacles once again. She did not receive a scholarship for her freshman year, but will have the opportunity to earn one by playing well.
“Having to really work and earn a spot at SDSU really appealed to me. I’m really competitive in sports and life, so I’m excited to get there,” Osborn said. “None of those girls expect anything out of me because on the roster, I’m number 20 out of 20 spots.”
Although SDSU’s Deitre Collins-Parker is also the head coach of the U.S. National Team, Osborn does not see herself playing volleyball after graduating college.
“Volleyball is my life right now, but it won’t be my life forever,” Osborn said.
