By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
WAUSEON – Before the 2025 volleyball season had started, Wauseon’s Bella McGuire was on pace to become the all-time digs leader for the Indians.
The four-year volleyball standout had entered the campaign needing just 83 digs to reach 1,000 career digs and on Thursday, September 4, in a Northwest Ohio Athletic League match against Liberty Center, the 5-4 senior libero finally achieved the milestone despite the Indians dropping a very tough five-set match.
“It was pretty cool because not too many people had gotten it,” said McGuire. “It was really exciting because my teammates were happy for me and there were signs in the stands recognizing the milestone.”
Wauseon head volleyball coach Lindsay Parsons was happy for McGuire for reaching the elusive 1,000-career dig milestone.
“It was awesome,” said Parsons reflecting on McGuire’s career milestone. “Last year, we knew that she had ended her junior year with 870 digs.
“We were excited coming into this season knowing she only needed 130 more. She is one of those excellent athletes who works hard at everything. Everything she does, she always gives 100 percent all the time. I knew she was going to excel and conquer this achievement.”
The second-year head coach also described her four-year standout as a true leader. “She’s been a huge leader and the respect she brings to the program and always doing the right things,” pointed out Parsons.
“Bella is one of those who is kind, considerate and person. You just know that she’s going to lead them in the right direction.”
McGuire can just do anything on the volleyball court especially last year in a couple of games when Parsons wanted her to play in every position away from her libero spot and eventually excelled at it.
“She’s just an all-around athlete,” noted Parsons. “Having her as a libero to lead our backcourt it just has been game-changing for us.”
McGuire is one of six seniors on the volleyball team including Jaydn Demaline, Marin Leatherman, Matea Burkholder, Brooklyn Miller and Braelyn Rupp. “We have a lot of good senior leaders on the team who pushes us to do better,” said McGuire. “
Having already reached the 1,000-dig milestone, McGuire is now going after the program’s all-time career dig record, currently held by Kelsey Blanchong who tallied 1,107 digs from 2017-19.
Needing just 41 digs to break Blanchong’s career digs record, but also the single game digs mark of 39, which was accomplished twice by Jazmine Barajas in 2022. Barajas also holds the school record for digs in a single season (620) the same year.
McGuire already has 149 digs this season, including a 36-dig effort in a non-league win over Maumee in the season opener. Last year, she earned first team NWOAL volleyball honors as a specialist.
She credits her parents, Matt and Julie McGuire for being supportive throughout her career.
“My parents have definitely pushed me to do better,” she said. “They picked me up and motivated me for the next game.”
Besides being a standout on the volleyball court, McGuire also excels on the softball diamond where she is a four-year starter as a shortstop and achieving first-team NWOAL honors the past two seasons.
Last spring, she was impressive at the plate, hitting for a .609 batting average with 28 hits, 28 runs and 19 runs batted in, after hitting .493 in her sophomore year.
After graduation, McGuire, who holds a 3.8 grade point average in the classroom, plans to go to college to become a dental hygienist and play college softball.
McGuire gave some important qualities for younger athletes to follow once she leaves the program.
“Just give it you all like every day and work hard at practice, she pointed out. “Nothing is really given, just earn your position. I just hope the underclassmen can look up and want to get 1,000 digs like I’ve did and the work ethic I want to leave behind.”
