Marie-Pierre Bakima hits the ball during a match last week. (DM Photo | Harold Wells)
For Ole Miss Volleyball seniors Marie-Pierre Bakima, Cara Fisher and Rachael Weathersby, it seems like only yesterday all three were deciding on the path that would ultimately lead them to Ole Miss.
“I knew that I wanted to play in the biggest conference, so I started with the SEC,” said Fisher, a native of Manvel, Texas. “I picked out some schools, but I just couldn’t say no to Ole Miss. I really liked what they had to offer.”
Fisher played two years at Blinn Junior College before coming to Ole Miss, while Bakima (known as Mapie) spent her first two years in the U.S. at nearby San Jacinto College. The two teams faced each other, but Fisher and Bakima never officially met until arriving at Ole Miss last year.
Weathersby (formerly McLamore) came from a volleyball family. Her sisters both played in the SEC, one at Auburn and the other at Tennessee. When it came time to decide on a college destination Weathersby chose the Rebels.
“When I was looking at colleges, Ole Miss was one of my top schools,” said Weathersby, who married Rebel baseball pitcher Scott Weathersby this summer. “When I came to visit the campus, I fell in love. It’s such a beautiful campus and the girls were really great. When I had the opportunity to come, it was a dream come true.”
After only one year with the Rebels, Fisher and Bakima experienced another change in their volleyball careers – a new coach. Steven McRoberts was hired in January after a successful career that included stops at Lubbock Christian University Central Arkansas and most recently, Tulsa.
“Coach Mac has done an awesome job,” Fisher said. “We were a lot to handle at first, and he’s done a really good job of adjusting and getting to know us. He has really taken the time to get to know us as individuals rather than just players. We were kind of worried losing our coach right before our senior year, but he’s done a good job of making us feel a part of his family. It makes it a lot more fun to go out on the court for someone who wants you to succeed.”
Weathersby talked about the change of mentality and the positive atmosphere that McRoberts has created within the program.
“Coach Mac has completely transformed the mindset of our program,” she said. “He has brought a whole new vibe of positive energy as well as the other coaches, Angela (Mooney), Ronnie (Pacheco) and Kara (Lanteigne). Coach Mac has a really great approach to the game, and I love his approach to coaching. He really wants his players to succeed and he likes to give everyone a chance to show their leadership and have an environment where we uplift each other.”
Everyone got a chance to get to know each other better when the team and staff traveled to Europe for 12 days at the beginning of the summer. They did plenty of sightseeing as well as played seven matches against various teams from the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Italy. The Rebels finished the trip 6-1 in matches.
All three talked about what a great experience it was, becoming closer as a team and getting to know their coaches better.
“It was really good for our team,” said Fisher, who had never been outside the United States before. “It was one of the first times we got to travel with Coach McRoberts. It was a once and a lifetime opportunity. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do that again, it was definitely a blessing. It’s something I think we will all cherish for the rest of our lives.”
Weathersby, like Fisher, grew up in Texas, about 30 minutes south of the state capital (Austin). She enjoyed Venice, Italy the best.
“Everything you see on TV and on postcards is truly like a dream,” Weathersby said. “It looked like something straight out of a movie. The streets are made of water. We got to ride on the water in the canals and eat Italian pizza. It was really fun.”
For Bakima, who calls Paris, France home, it was a chance to take her teammates across the pond to experience her part of the world.
“It was so strange to see them in my environment,” she said. “I was glad for them to see Europe for the first time. Many of them have never been outside of the United States. It was great to show them another side of the world.”
In terms of goals for the season, Coach McRoberts talks about focusing on the process every day, and says if the Rebels follow the process and stay true to the core values of the program, then the wins will take care of themselves.
“At the end of the season we want to be playing in December in the NCAA Tournament,” Weathersby said. “Coach Mac tells us that success is an everyday thing. Our team is focused on the next point, the next ball and the next match. But in the back of our minds, we know that if we keep working hard, we can reach our goal of making the NCAA Tournament.”
For now, Bakima, Fisher and Weathersby are focused on the “process” of leading the Rebels and seeing where it lands them at the end of the season.
