Bruce A Perfect Fit

Junior Makes Lack Of Height Work In Her Favor

Emily Bruce, a Bentonville junior, passes to a teammate during their match against Fayetteville on Sept. 20 at Bentonville.
Emily Bruce, a Bentonville junior, passes to a teammate during their match against Fayetteville on Sept. 20 at Bentonville.

— Emily Bruce is clearly the shortest player on Bentonville’s volleyball roster this season, and she could easily get lost in the shuffle if her jersey weren’t a different color during matches.

The 5-foot-3 junior libero, though, has found a way to make her lack of height work in her favor, and it’s allowed Bruce to become a big help to the Lady Tigers’ defense.

“I look at it as an advantage because I’m lower to the ground,” she said. “I can get to more balls before they get to the floor. If you’re super-tall, you have to work your legs more to get to the ground.”

Profile

Emily Bruce

SCHOOL: Bentonville

CLASS: Junior

POSITION: Libero

HEIGHT: 5-3

NOTABLE: Leads the Lady Tigers with 191 digs through 20 matches, including a season-high 24 in last week’s match against Fayetteville. ... She has served 16 aces, including three during a Sept. 4 match against Springdale Har-Ber. ... Saw limited duty as a defensive specialist during the Lady Tigers’ state championship last season. ... She’s the shortest player on the roster, at least two inches shorter than everybody else.

Bentonville coach Michelle Smith said Bruce earned the starting libero job during preseason workouts, when she impressed the coaching staff with her work ethic and her court vision. That kind of work ethic has carried over into the regular season.

Bruce has recorded a team-high 191 digs through Bentonville’s first 20 matches, 55 more than the next closest player. That included a season-high 24 digs she had in last week’s match against Fayetteville and 15 in a win Tuesday night at Siloam Springs.

“She’s a quiet leader,” Smith said. “She’s probably one of our players that has the utmost respect of our team this year. Her defensive skills are some of the best we’ve seen in a long time, and she can read the game.

“When you play a great team like Fayetteville, we were hoping for some really good stats. She definitely ended the night with a personal-high, and that was only in four games. Imagine what she can do in a five-game match, so that’s promising for her and the team. She did the job in the backcourt.”

Bruce grew up in a volleyball family, and Smith refers to her as a year-round volleyball player. When she’s not playing the game on the high school level, she can be found at the sand courts at Memorial Park or participating in club play.

She saw limited varsity action as a defensive specialist during Bentonville’s state championship run last season. That time she did get helped her prepare for this season, when the team was much younger and she had to be one of the team leaders.

“It was very beneficial,” she said. “I really didn’t think I would be on the varsity team at all. By getting to play, I was able to feel how fast the varsity players played and how fast I needed to think and move.

“If I didn’t have that experience last year, I don’t think I would be where I am right now. It pushed me harder and made me look at things I might have been doing wrong and not realized it until I reached the varsity team.”

Bruce realizes she will have her ups and downs throughout the season, much like many younger players. That won’t stop her from trying each match.

“I’m working my hardest each day,” she said. “I know I’m not where I need to be. I just have to work on getting better, and I know I can get better.”

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