Co-Captain Dagny Bingham ’23 has a zeal for volleyball. Bingham considers volleyball one of the most collaborative team sports. The spirit of collaboration has guided Bingham to be an effective communicator on the court, as well as a respected leader.
According to Drew Nelson ’24, Bingham’s high spirit is a big motivating factor for the team. Her ability to ease everyone into the competition and move past inconveniences has been admirable throughout the season.
“Dagny brings so much energy to the court like I’ve never seen before on any team I have ever played on. That energy encourages everyone else to step up and be loud and support each other. Her energy helps the team shake off any bad points and encourages everyone to want to win for each other. She’s also just a fun person to be around. She always brings up the team’s spirits especially during tough practices, it’s always so much more fun when she is there and can crack a joke or two,” said Nelson.
Starting off the season with many new players, the team had to make adjustments, according to Bingham. However, she noted that every game has been proof of the team’s unmatched chemistry and progress.
Bingham wrote in an email to The Phillipian, “This season I have stressed the importance of playing as a team. Volleyball is through-in-through a team sport, so it is not enough to have strong individual players, unless those players can function as a unit. We have a lot of new players, so it took us a while to understand each other and how to play with one another. However, as the season has progressed, the increase in communication with one another on and off the court has translated to the team’s ability to play together. I’m constantly impressed and proud of how the team has progressed as a team. Everyone is incredibly encouraging and as a captain that is all I can ask of them.”
Saraya Angbazo ’25 shared similar sentiments to Nelson. Angbazo highlighted Bingham’s positive influence on her teammates, and emphasized Binham’s ability to translate that focus to benefit the team.
Angbazo said, “A quality that stands out for her as a volleyball player, person, and captain is how positive she is and how much short term memory she has while playing. If the team has a bad play or a bad set or if individuals have a bad play, she is so easily able to shake it off. One person on the court being able to do that influences everyone else and together that makes us even more fired up to let go of what just happened, and together fight for the win.”
Additionally, Bingham’s communication with other athletes has been a way of building trust and stability within the team. She strives to create a comfortable environment in which her teammates can embrace difficult conversations through trust..
“I communicate with the team through blunt conversations. If I feel something is wrong or I have an observation I don’t hesitate to tell the player. And I appreciate when the same is done for me. I emphasize to the team that if they are frustrated or concerned about something happening on the team or with me to please have a conversation with me, and I won’t take bluntness to heart. This way I think the team can trust one another. Nothing is going unsaid and there is constant communication,” Bingham wrote.
Bingham’s competitiveness, drive, and empathy as an athlete is echoed in her captainship. In ensuring her teammates’ health and wellbeing, and offering guidance to younger athletes, Bingham has displayed exemplary leadership, according to Nelson.
“During the games, she gets very competitive and very into it and she wants the ball and she wants everyone to do well. And her overall outlook of the sport is amazing and has been a great encouragement for everyone on the team, but especially the Underclassmen who she has been an incredible role model for. It has just been so much fun playing with Dagny this year,” said Nelson.
