Coach Nicole Bayle with assistants Sam Moore and Debbie Olson.
(Photo courtesy of Jer’s Photography)
By Nate Thompson
LocalSportsJournal.com
FRUITPORT – Dan Potts said he never had a doubt the Fruitport volleyball program was going to be in good hands when he decided to step down in 2007.
Still, saying it and seeing it come to fruition are two entirely different animals. Especially considering it’s often difficult following a coaching legend, as Potts managed to build Fruitport into a state powerhouse, amassing 671 wins in 16 years, including the program’s first state championship in 2005.
But since Nicole Bayle took over, the Trojans’ ship certainly hasn’t veered off course; instead it’s been pretty smooth sailing. Now in her 19th season as Fruitport’s head coach, Bayle is closing in on Potts’ win total as she’s compiled a remarkable 589 victories, compared to just 297 losses and 6 ties.
What’s even more special is that with Potts and Bayle, Fruitport has had just two coaches run its volleyball program since 1991, and both are sure-fire Hall of Famers in the state of Michigan. Potts has already been inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame, and he said Bayle deserves to also get her day in the sun.
“She took over what was a very good program that had a strong tradition and improved on that,” Potts said recently. “She’s taken the program to another level. She’s earned those state championships, and really, that’s what Fruitport kids strive for. It’s never been about just winning conference titles. The goal is to win a state championship.”
Bayle and the Trojans tasted that glory early on, as she guided Fruitport to the 2008 Class B state finals just a year after Potts stepped away, losing to Holland Christian in four sets.
Two years later, Fruitport returned to the big stage and this time became the queens of the court, beating a stacked team from North Branch in a thrilling five-set match, taking the final set 15-13.
Bayle said that underdog victory is arguably one of the most thrilling in her career, because her team orchestrated their game plan to perfection, started slow, but began to chip away and then gutted out precious points when it mattered most.
They remained on top of the mountain the following fall, going back-to-back with a three-set sweep of Tecumseh.
All totaled, aside from the two state titles, Fruitport has won six regional and 10 district championships under Bayle’s watch. A year ago, the Trojans reached the Division 2 quarterfinals, but were swept by Essexville Garber.
This fall, Fruitport has remained steady with a 23-11-1 record through late October, despite losing their All-State setter, senior Gracelynn Olson, to a torn ACL in her knee during the summer. As a token of her appreciation to her dedication to the program, Bayle recently let Olson serve a few times on Senior Night on Oct. 10 against Grandville Calvin Christian. Olson, with approval from her doctor and physical therapist, stepped on court with a bulky knee brace, and even managed an ace.
It’s that type of gesture that earns the admiration and respect of players past and present.
Lauren Hazekamp-Miller starred for the Trojans from 2008 to 2012 and was the setter on both of their state title squads, then later played at Hope College. She’s currently the volleyball director at the Sport House in Norton Shores through the Michigan Volleyball Academy, and has also helped out with Fruitport’s freshman team this year.
“As a coach, she’s very competitive, very determined to get the most out of all of her players,” Hazekamp-Miller said. “She’s always put so much time and effort into practices as far as strategy and working on any weaknesses. I always appreciated the amount of work she puts in for practices. She just has a standard and she holds everyone accountable. You need that as an athlete, I know I did. She can be intense, but as a player, you realize she’s always looking at the big picture.”
Fellow Fruitport graduate Alyssa Veihl, another standout Trojans’ setter on varsity from 2013-15, said now as an assistant coach for Muskegon Community College’s volleyball team, there’s several times throughout a season where she’ll think to herself, ‘What would Nicole do in this situation?’
“Just due to how knowledgeable she is about the game, when you get in those big matches, it was never too nerve-wracking, because she knew so much and had us so well prepared,” Veihl said. “She was always a very calm presence.”
Potts said he saw that knowledge and calming presence in Bayle’s transition as an assistant at Fruitport to a rookie head coach. But surprisingly, he believed one of the biggest keys to her coaching success started when she was still a player at Grand Valley State University.
“She was recruited to Grand Valley on the outside, but she made the switch from a hitter to setter,” Potts said. “To do something like that and still be successful, that says something. I’ve always believed setters see the game in a different way. They have a coach’s perspective as a setter, because they’re directing the action.”
Bayle said she was a shy kid and her parents, dad Dennis and mom Lori, who both coached at Fruitport Calvary Baptist, had to coax her into playing club volleyball. But she flourished from the get-go, first with Port City club volleyball in Muskegon and then initially at Fruitport Calvary, before she transferred to Fruitport. Bayle starred on some outstanding teams under Potts, but state championship glory eluded them.
Bayle was a force on what Potts believed was one of the best teams in school history in 1998 as they had a 72-8 record, but the Trojans were always second-fiddle to either outstanding teams from Pinconning or Marysville, which won eight-straight Class B state championships from 1997 to 2004.
GVSU coaches Deanne Scanlon and assistant Jason Johnson recognized Bayle’s immense talent and recruited her to Allendale, but initially as an outside hitter.
“They had a lot of talent ahead of me, so I was coming off the bench,” Bayle recalled. “So in my exit interview after my first year, I told them I’d do anything they wanted me to do, but I’d love to get more of an opportunity to play. And they said, ‘Well, we do need someone else to set.’ ”
The position switch turned into a blessing, as Bayle developed into one of the program’s best setters ever, leading the Lakers to four NCAA Division 2 Elite Eight appearances and three Final Four berths. She became a two-time First-Team All-American and finished her career fifth all-time in assists at GVSU with 4,071 and also fifth in aces with 204.
She was inducted into the GVSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
“(Both Scanlon and Johnson) saw the good in me and weren’t quick to give up on me,” Bayle said. “I’ll never forget that.”
Following graduation, Bayle began her student teaching in the East Kentwood school district, and she said she had a verbal offer to eventually take over the Falcons’ volleyball program once head coach Roxanne Steenhuysen retired. But Bayle said her heart always belonged in Fruitport and fate had it, she was eventually offered an elementary teaching position in the district, and it was also natural to join Potts’ staff as an assistant coach.
And almost immediately, Bayle’s addition provided dividends. Her sister, Lindsey, was a member on the squad that dethroned Marysville in a massive upset in the state semifinals in 2005, which Nicole said was a surreal moment. And two days later, the Bayle sisters celebrated a state championship with a victory over Otsego at University Arena in Kalamazoo.
Today, Bayle, 43, is a Kindergarten through 5th grade reading specialist at Fruitport.
Bayle said she admired Potts’ competitive nature and intensity as coach, although at times he was a little over the top. More importantly, she learned from Potts how important it was to build a love and trust between coach and player.
“I’m way more patient than Dan,” she said with a laugh. “No throwing or broken clipboards.
“One of the biggest things he taught me was the way he ran practices,” she added. “It’s so important to make the most of that time in the gym. To me, practice is business. Even today, if I have our trainer come in or our AD trying to chat with me during practice, I’m likely going to say, ‘OK, come back later.’ This is the time that we work to get better.”
Bayle said she still has some conversations with Potts here and there, and he and his daughter, Kennedy, watched the Trojans in action earlier this season.
Bayle said she’s forever thankful from learning from coaches like Potts, Scanlon and Johnson, and her current assistant coaches, Sam Moore and Debbie Olson. With that, what Bayle has learned in building a team and a program that hasn’t changed much from Year 1 to Year 19. That continuity is why the sport remains so popular at the school, and why Fruitport has enough participation to field a freshmen team, unlike other schools. A key, she said, is having her varsity players spread the love of the sport at camps and clinics to Fruitport middle schoolers. And success ends up breeding future success.
“I think it’s the buy-in from the kids, getting them to believe in what you’re teaching,” Bayle said. “And then, trusting those kids next to you to perform under pressure. I’m fortunate that in our program, we’ve had a lot of competitive kids over the years. But it all starts in practice. If they’re willing to compete in every drill, every day, then that’s when you see the results. You know, when you put them in a position to succeed, kids can do some pretty amazing things not only from an athletic standpoint, but mentally as well.”
Hazekamp-Miller wholeheartedly agrees. She said she cannot recall the exact game plan Bayle rolled out for them to take down North Branch in 2010, or any motivational speeches. But she knows why the Trojans were able to pull the upset.
“It was just a mentality to be prepared against anyone, so once we got to that state championship match, you don’t get overwhelmed by the pressure of the moment,” she said. “We developed that in the off-season. Every workout had to be done at 100 percent and the same at every practice. Nicole knew if she held us to that standard, it would pay off, and if we didn’t, she’d find a way how. And along with that, there’s a level of trust that gets developed between coaches and teammates. That’s how you build a championship team.”
LocalSportsJournal.com
FRUITPORT – Dan Potts said he never had a doubt the Fruitport volleyball program was going to be in good hands when he decided to step down in 2007.
Still, saying it and seeing it come to fruition are two entirely different animals. Especially considering it’s often difficult following a coaching legend, as Potts managed to build Fruitport into a state powerhouse, amassing 671 wins in 16 years, including the program’s first state championship in 2005.
But since Nicole Bayle took over, the Trojans’ ship certainly hasn’t veered off course; instead it’s been pretty smooth sailing. Now in her 19th season as Fruitport’s head coach, Bayle is closing in on Potts’ win total as she’s compiled a remarkable 589 victories, compared to just 297 losses and 6 ties.
What’s even more special is that with Potts and Bayle, Fruitport has had just two coaches run its volleyball program since 1991, and both are sure-fire Hall of Famers in the state of Michigan. Potts has already been inducted into the Muskegon Area Sports Hall of Fame, and he said Bayle deserves to also get her day in the sun.
“She took over what was a very good program that had a strong tradition and improved on that,” Potts said recently. “She’s taken the program to another level. She’s earned those state championships, and really, that’s what Fruitport kids strive for. It’s never been about just winning conference titles. The goal is to win a state championship.”
Bayle and the Trojans tasted that glory early on, as she guided Fruitport to the 2008 Class B state finals just a year after Potts stepped away, losing to Holland Christian in four sets.
Two years later, Fruitport returned to the big stage and this time became the queens of the court, beating a stacked team from North Branch in a thrilling five-set match, taking the final set 15-13.
Bayle said that underdog victory is arguably one of the most thrilling in her career, because her team orchestrated their game plan to perfection, started slow, but began to chip away and then gutted out precious points when it mattered most.
They remained on top of the mountain the following fall, going back-to-back with a three-set sweep of Tecumseh.
All totaled, aside from the two state titles, Fruitport has won six regional and 10 district championships under Bayle’s watch. A year ago, the Trojans reached the Division 2 quarterfinals, but were swept by Essexville Garber.
This fall, Fruitport has remained steady with a 23-11-1 record through late October, despite losing their All-State setter, senior Gracelynn Olson, to a torn ACL in her knee during the summer. As a token of her appreciation to her dedication to the program, Bayle recently let Olson serve a few times on Senior Night on Oct. 10 against Grandville Calvin Christian. Olson, with approval from her doctor and physical therapist, stepped on court with a bulky knee brace, and even managed an ace.
It’s that type of gesture that earns the admiration and respect of players past and present.
Lauren Hazekamp-Miller starred for the Trojans from 2008 to 2012 and was the setter on both of their state title squads, then later played at Hope College. She’s currently the volleyball director at the Sport House in Norton Shores through the Michigan Volleyball Academy, and has also helped out with Fruitport’s freshman team this year.
“As a coach, she’s very competitive, very determined to get the most out of all of her players,” Hazekamp-Miller said. “She’s always put so much time and effort into practices as far as strategy and working on any weaknesses. I always appreciated the amount of work she puts in for practices. She just has a standard and she holds everyone accountable. You need that as an athlete, I know I did. She can be intense, but as a player, you realize she’s always looking at the big picture.”
Fellow Fruitport graduate Alyssa Veihl, another standout Trojans’ setter on varsity from 2013-15, said now as an assistant coach for Muskegon Community College’s volleyball team, there’s several times throughout a season where she’ll think to herself, ‘What would Nicole do in this situation?’
“Just due to how knowledgeable she is about the game, when you get in those big matches, it was never too nerve-wracking, because she knew so much and had us so well prepared,” Veihl said. “She was always a very calm presence.”
Potts said he saw that knowledge and calming presence in Bayle’s transition as an assistant at Fruitport to a rookie head coach. But surprisingly, he believed one of the biggest keys to her coaching success started when she was still a player at Grand Valley State University.
“She was recruited to Grand Valley on the outside, but she made the switch from a hitter to setter,” Potts said. “To do something like that and still be successful, that says something. I’ve always believed setters see the game in a different way. They have a coach’s perspective as a setter, because they’re directing the action.”
Bayle said she was a shy kid and her parents, dad Dennis and mom Lori, who both coached at Fruitport Calvary Baptist, had to coax her into playing club volleyball. But she flourished from the get-go, first with Port City club volleyball in Muskegon and then initially at Fruitport Calvary, before she transferred to Fruitport. Bayle starred on some outstanding teams under Potts, but state championship glory eluded them.
Bayle was a force on what Potts believed was one of the best teams in school history in 1998 as they had a 72-8 record, but the Trojans were always second-fiddle to either outstanding teams from Pinconning or Marysville, which won eight-straight Class B state championships from 1997 to 2004.
GVSU coaches Deanne Scanlon and assistant Jason Johnson recognized Bayle’s immense talent and recruited her to Allendale, but initially as an outside hitter.
“They had a lot of talent ahead of me, so I was coming off the bench,” Bayle recalled. “So in my exit interview after my first year, I told them I’d do anything they wanted me to do, but I’d love to get more of an opportunity to play. And they said, ‘Well, we do need someone else to set.’ ”
The position switch turned into a blessing, as Bayle developed into one of the program’s best setters ever, leading the Lakers to four NCAA Division 2 Elite Eight appearances and three Final Four berths. She became a two-time First-Team All-American and finished her career fifth all-time in assists at GVSU with 4,071 and also fifth in aces with 204.
She was inducted into the GVSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2014.
“(Both Scanlon and Johnson) saw the good in me and weren’t quick to give up on me,” Bayle said. “I’ll never forget that.”
Following graduation, Bayle began her student teaching in the East Kentwood school district, and she said she had a verbal offer to eventually take over the Falcons’ volleyball program once head coach Roxanne Steenhuysen retired. But Bayle said her heart always belonged in Fruitport and fate had it, she was eventually offered an elementary teaching position in the district, and it was also natural to join Potts’ staff as an assistant coach.
And almost immediately, Bayle’s addition provided dividends. Her sister, Lindsey, was a member on the squad that dethroned Marysville in a massive upset in the state semifinals in 2005, which Nicole said was a surreal moment. And two days later, the Bayle sisters celebrated a state championship with a victory over Otsego at University Arena in Kalamazoo.
Today, Bayle, 43, is a Kindergarten through 5th grade reading specialist at Fruitport.
Bayle said she admired Potts’ competitive nature and intensity as coach, although at times he was a little over the top. More importantly, she learned from Potts how important it was to build a love and trust between coach and player.
“I’m way more patient than Dan,” she said with a laugh. “No throwing or broken clipboards.
“One of the biggest things he taught me was the way he ran practices,” she added. “It’s so important to make the most of that time in the gym. To me, practice is business. Even today, if I have our trainer come in or our AD trying to chat with me during practice, I’m likely going to say, ‘OK, come back later.’ This is the time that we work to get better.”
Bayle said she still has some conversations with Potts here and there, and he and his daughter, Kennedy, watched the Trojans in action earlier this season.
Bayle said she’s forever thankful from learning from coaches like Potts, Scanlon and Johnson, and her current assistant coaches, Sam Moore and Debbie Olson. With that, what Bayle has learned in building a team and a program that hasn’t changed much from Year 1 to Year 19. That continuity is why the sport remains so popular at the school, and why Fruitport has enough participation to field a freshmen team, unlike other schools. A key, she said, is having her varsity players spread the love of the sport at camps and clinics to Fruitport middle schoolers. And success ends up breeding future success.
“I think it’s the buy-in from the kids, getting them to believe in what you’re teaching,” Bayle said. “And then, trusting those kids next to you to perform under pressure. I’m fortunate that in our program, we’ve had a lot of competitive kids over the years. But it all starts in practice. If they’re willing to compete in every drill, every day, then that’s when you see the results. You know, when you put them in a position to succeed, kids can do some pretty amazing things not only from an athletic standpoint, but mentally as well.”
Hazekamp-Miller wholeheartedly agrees. She said she cannot recall the exact game plan Bayle rolled out for them to take down North Branch in 2010, or any motivational speeches. But she knows why the Trojans were able to pull the upset.
“It was just a mentality to be prepared against anyone, so once we got to that state championship match, you don’t get overwhelmed by the pressure of the moment,” she said. “We developed that in the off-season. Every workout had to be done at 100 percent and the same at every practice. Nicole knew if she held us to that standard, it would pay off, and if we didn’t, she’d find a way how. And along with that, there’s a level of trust that gets developed between coaches and teammates. That’s how you build a championship team.”
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