From 2012-2014, when Hamilton's girls volleyball team took the court, many names in the starting lineup like Lauren and Hailey Jacobsen, Shelby Babcock, and Michaela Zapata were feared by opponents across the state. But while fans focused on the talent on the floor, many were unaware that the next generation of Hamilton volleyball was warming up. Not on the sideline, or in the locker room, but behind the bleachers in the Hamilton gym.

Fast forward to 2018 and not much has changed. The team is still led by Jacobsen, Babcock and Zapata, but the names and numbers have undergone a change. This year, Taylor Jacobsen, Reilly Babcock and Bella Zapata, the girls from behind the bleachers, and each one the youngest of her family, are the ones donning the crimson and white.

Reilly Babcock, a junior and setter on the team, still remembers where it began all those years ago.

“When we would come to watch our sisters play,” Babcock said, “we would always be behind the stands passing. We would always get in trouble by security and they would tell us to leave but we would come right back. That was the starting point for all of this, our passion to play volleyball together.”

Since then, Babcock and her teammates have stepped into the large shoes left by their older siblings, and continued the rich tradition of excellence at Hamilton, including an eighth consecutive state tournament appearance last season.

“We’ve played together since we were 12,” senior hitter and NAU commit Taylor Jacobsen said. “We know each other really well, both on and off the court, and I feel like that chemistry helps things flow really well for us.”

Things have certainly been flowing early this season as the Huskies have gotten off to a 20-3 start, complete with a No. 1 ranking in the state.

“The passion we share for this game, you can really see that the people on this team want to do it for the person next to them. It’s not just about themselves,” Babcock said.

Many knew this Hamilton team would be good, but weren’t truly prepared for just how good they are.

“I think everyone definitely overlooked us early in the season, and to be able to show that we’re capable, that we really have a chance this year, gives you a little extra motivation,” junior libero Bella Zapata said.

With all of the pieces falling into place, this Hamilton team has its sights set on doing something it has never done before, bringing home an ever-elusive state title.

“I think with all these girls, with how much we all want to win, and with how long we’ve all been playing together, I honestly feel like this should be our year,” Babcock said.

While Hamilton will likely be in prime position to make a push late in the season, coach Sharon Vanis knows how difficult the road will be, and has concentrated on keeping her players focused on the opponent at hand.

“If you look at our schedule, there’s not what used to be a gimme game,” Vanis said. “We can’t look forward to other tournaments or state, or anything else like that, because if we do, we’ll get beat, it’s just so competitive,” she said.

While Hamilton has suffered a few early season defeats, Vanis sees these as opportunities to grow, and prepare for the tougher battles ahead.

“We win, and we learn, we don’t lose,” she said.

Vanis has been coaching many of these girls since they were as young as 13 and has stated that this is one of the most talented groups she has ever coached in a program overflowing with excellent teams and athletes.

“There’s been a lot of talent that’s come through Hamilton, and those kids really set the standard that got us where we are today,” she said. “These kids are gonna be part of that same standard and excellence.”

With the season a little more than halfway over, Hamilton continues to take things one game at a time, but for the last trio of an era, November could bring one last golden opportunity to cement their names in Hamilton’s history forever.