Volleyball duo connects on, off the court

To say that Valkyries volleyball players Claire Wilken and Emily Hardman are close teammates would be like saying the duo, who met in kindergarten, have known each other for a little while.

Wilken, who is a setter, and Hardman, who is an outside hitter, are the best of friends, the tightest of teammates and the greatest of help to each other on the court. They finish each other's sentences, have played volleyball together since the third grade and often get mistaken for each other in the hallways at school, which doesn't bother either one of them. But, that wasn't always the case.

Growing up, Wilken was a girly-girl and Hardman, being more the tomboy type, didn't like her and thought she never would. By their second year at Creston Elementary School, they had found a way to get over their differences and became best friends, though the differences remained.

"I just always remember that Claire wanted to play Barbies and I wanted to play wolves when we were kids," Hardman said.

Today, Wilken describes Hardman as being more athletic and more of a critical thinker than herself, who she describes as more artsy and visual. Hardman agrees and also added that Wilken is more friendly than she is.

Regardless of their differences, they share many things, including a love of volleyball.

"I like how your team can control the game," Hardman said of the sport. "You get to play your game. Everyone has to be playing well. It can't be just one person."

Wilken agreed, adding, "If someone is having a bad game everyone can pull together and help them out as long as everyone is doing their part."

The pair definitely did that as this season they led their team in stats nearly every match and helped the Vals to earn the regular season championship in District 7B and then win the district's tournament.

"We got two plaques and that was really exciting," Wilken said. "It felt good, especially beating Eureka (in the district championship game). It was an ugly night, but we pulled it off."

The girls attribute Bigfork's success this year to the bonding they all did.

"This season we didn't have as much experience as we did in previous years, but our team chemistry made us strong," Hardman said.

The backbone of that chemistry was the fun they all had together.

"It was just the way we flowed together," Wilken said. "We each had our own individual handshakes with everyone else and we had our dances. We would have full conversations while the ball was in play. We just had a lot of fun.

"I think fun is the most important thing when you're playing. If you can't shake off your mistakes, you're just going to get yourself in a hole."

The close group of girls were quick to move on from each other's mistakes.

"I feel like we could forgive each other for the mistakes we made because we are all so tight," Hardman said. "We didn't expect anyone to play 100 percent all of the time. We just had fun together and played the best we could."

However, the Vals needed more than a few laughs to be successful at last week's divisional tournament, which they were knocked out of in their third match.

"I felt like everyone expected us to go to state easily, like our teachers and the other students," Wilken said. "I feel like the team wasn't playing the games we were in. We were looking ahead to the future games."

Despite not making it to the state tournament, Hardman said she is proud of the season that the team had and wishes that it wasn't over already so she could keep playing with her teammates.

"I'm upset I don't get to spend more time with the girls," Hardman said. "It being our last year, it is hard to have it end and have to let it go. I felt like we were a good enough team to go to state, but every team has an off game every now and then. It's too bad ours had to be at divisionals, and against Eureka."

Wilken and Hardman have played on the Valkyries volleyball team for the past four seasons and were chosen as this year's co-captains.

"It was different having younger girls look up to us this year," Hardman said. "We've always had people to look up to. But this year no one was there above us."

The Vals improved on a lot of things this season, especially their teamwork.

"The communication on the floor was better since we all got along so well," Hardman said. "We were able to talk to each other on the floor without there being problems. Also, our rotation never changed this season. Last year we played next to different people all the time. It was just better to have it be consistent."

Although they currently have the exact same class schedule at school, Wilken and Hardman will be going their separate ways next year. Wilken plans to attend Montana State University to study nursing and Hardman is looking at some out-of-state schools to get a degree in business with a focus on travel or hotel management.

"We're cutting the cord," Hardman said of next year. "It will be fine, though. We'll get through it."

The girls, who were born just six days apart, have been through a lot of change together, including three different BHS head volleyball coaches in four years.

"They all have had very different coaching styles," Hardman said. "All of them had a correct way to do things so that was kind of hard at times. This year it was up to us to pull it all together and take what we have learned from all of them and use it."

One thing that hasn't changed, at least through high school, is that Wilken has always been Hardman's setter, a pairing that is only helped by their friendship on and off the court.

"When we communicate during a game, it's similar to when we talk regularly, but it's volleyball lingo," Wilken said. "She talks to me and lets me know where she is so I can set the ball to her and she can hit it and get a kill."

Their coach, Tammi McDaniel, said that the connection was undeniable.

"Their relationship on the court was enhanced by their relationship off the court," she said. "This is a case where the left hand definitely knows what the right hand is doing at all times. They can communicate with one another with just a look. No words necessary. For a setter-hitter combo, this is huge."