'I'm not going to define this season by wins or losses': British International girls varsity volleyball lose first season

British International School of Houston varsity girls volleyball's latest and final loss of the season, on Monday, Nov. 1, to Woodlands Christian Academy, wasn't unexpected at the end of its first ever season.

The Bulldogs losing the 2021-22 season, including at the hands of known powerhouses such as Fort Bend Christian and Lutheran South, is not the measure for this team, first-year head coach Mary Garesche told VYPE Houston.

Instead, Garesche said in VYPE's Sunday, Oct. 31 news story that the Bulldogs got through their first season by focusing on the process and gaining experience.

"I'm not going to define (this season) by wins or losses," Garesche said. "I'm going to define it on everyone having a positive experience. They'll be exposed to a lot of new things, new teams and they'll have some really tough games. But if they can walk away from a game or this season with a positive experience, then that's a win for me."

The Bulldogs certainly had plenty of opportunity for experience and to learn their way around in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools (TAPPS) 5A-District 7. It was Garesche's first experience as well, coming on board at British International in Katy last December as assistant athletic director and aquatics and volleyball coordinator.

In her previous job, Garesche lead her volleyball team to the Athletic Association of Independent Schools of New York playoffs six years in a row.

This past first season for Bulldogs Girls varsity volleyball was a good one, if not in terms of winning stats, Garesche said.

"It's been really fun," she said. "The team experienced their first every volleyball preseason, coming in two weeks before the start of school. They trained four hours a day for two weeks to get ready to compete in this league. It's exciting to be a part of something new."

The team had two seniors at play with a handful of freshmen during its trying first season but the girls know their game.

"They're going to be part of the building of a new program, and they'll be able to see over the next four years how big the program is going to get," Garesche said. "That'll be partly due to them and their commitment to the team."