After two seasons of steadily improving teams, Redlands volleyball finally had their breakthrough season that will help cement them as one of the conference elite.  This year’s team possessed a tremendous amount of talent and the knowledge that all they needed was to light the fire.  After a rocky start in their opening tournament, the Bulldogs bounced back to sweep their next tournament the following weekend.  This ability to move past obstacles and go on winning runs would serve the team well, especially in conference play.  Despite some early SCIAC losses, Redlands used their hard work ethic to make a conference run over historically strong teams such as Cal Lutheran University and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.  The team also battled in two incredible matches against eventual conference champions, the Leopards of the University of La Verne.  These key victories earned the team a tie for second place in the conference and the understanding that they can compete at the highest levels.  The team also had a knack for breaking records this season.   Junior setter Courtney Cho (Aiea, HI) broke the school record for most assists in the season, finishing with 1,035; this also puts her second all-time for career assists and earned her a spot on the All-Conference Second Team.  The seniors pulled through as well, with senior outside hitter Valerie Detwiler (Hemet, CA) moving up to second all-time for career kills and taking the top position for most kills in a season with 353.  Senior libero Kyle Allen (Scottsdale, AZ) broke school records for most digs in a match with 34, most digs in a season with 398, and most digs in a career with 762.  In addition to upperclassmen leadership, the team also benefited greatly from the outstanding performances of their freshman.  Freshman middle blocker Shelley Langford (Newport Beach, CA) finished the season as one of the conference's predominant blockers, a distinction that earned her First Team All-Conference honors.  Despite the graduation of Detwiler and Allen, the team boasts a deep talent pool of players that will serve them well in the future.  Expect the Bulldogs to blow away their competition in the following seasons with the ultimate goal of finally taking the SCIAC title.