Bella Rand was a libero for four years. Now she's one of AMSA's most dangerous hitters

MARLBOROUGH – Bella Rand belongs in the back row.

The Advanced Math & Science senior started the first 78 games of her career at libero, dating back to 2019 as an eighth-grader. She wears the alternate color jersey for her club team as well and will probably play the position in college.

But the Eagles lacked depth at outside hitter this fall. AMSA coach Joseph Bengiovanni turned to Rand. Now instead of playing strictly in the back row trying to stop the ball from hitting the floor, she appears in every spot on the court and does a bit of everything.

"I've been so used to playing back row, every single rotation, so I had to learn how to make myself more useful and score more points front row," Rand said. "I was defending points from being scored on us, and now I'm trying to figure out ways to score on other teams."

Libero comes from the Italian word for "free," but the rules limit the position and what it can't do. They can only play in the back row and sub in and out for only one player when they would rotate into the front row. A libero can't attack the ball above the net or perform an overhead set in front of the 10-foot line.

Playing as an outside hitter unleashes Rand. When she rotates into the back row, it's like AMSA has two liberos. The way the Eagles structured their rotations allows Rand to serve receive no matter where she is on the court.

"That's been super helpful because she's still in it," AMSA setter Cassie Fiore said. "She may not be in the most optimal spot to get everything, but she can get a good amount still."

Rand knows how to keep a rally going but is still refining finishing them with a point for the Eagles. To start, Rand stands 5-feet-5 inches tall, not prototypical outside hitter size. She makes up for it with a wealth of athleticism, game sense and an array of shots.

Snapped: Newton North ends Westborough girls volleyball win streak at 33

"She plays so much volleyball, she plays year round, she plays beach, she plays club," Bengiovanni said. "So she knows how to hit, but it has been nice because she's pretty polished as a defender. And as a coach, I feel like there's a lot more I can help her with in terms of her hitting."

Rand built the foundation in practice. Even as a libero with few to zero offensive responsibilities, she always participated in AMSA's hitting drills.

"In practice, I'd always be so excited to hit because in games we can't really do that. And I'm kind of on the shorter side," Rand said. "I've always wanted to hit but I haven't really gotten the opportunity."

Bump, set, spike: Volleyball never ends for best friends from Blackstone Valley Tech, AMSA

She's made the most of her opportunity as a senior. Rand leads AMSA with 2.9 kills per set and is the team's most accurate hitter.

"She wanted it. She's liberoed for us for so long that's is been nice to give her this opportunity so that she can be an outside hitter for once in her career," Bengiovanni said. "She wants to play in college and will probably libero in college, so this is a chance to get her a chance as a hitter."

Rand is still exploring options for college. She could play at a smaller school or try and walk on at a bigger one.

The transition has given Rand a new appreciation for the work hitters do in such a short span of time between the pass and contacting the ball.

"You can tell if the pass is off or not that great of a pass. The hitter betters the ball in a lot of situations, which is really hard," Rand said. "Playing libero or playing outside gives me more of an appreciation for my outsides."

The defensive side of Rand's game hasn't slipped as she's expanded the offensive one. She still tops AMSA with 4.2 digs per set and received a team-high 254 serves.

"I want to help the team go as far as possible and help us win as many games as we can. If that's me playing outside, then I'm happy to do that," Rand said. "But I also need to, if I'm going to play at another level, I would just need to focus on digging and defense and being a libero."

In order to balance those at times conflicting goals, Rand splits her attention. When she's in the back row she zeroes in on being a libero and tries to score as much as she can when she's in the front row.

"She’s been playing so long. The leadership she brings to the team is very important," Fiore said. "She’s been the captain for two years. Any time I’ve ever played with her she’s a leader on the court."

Rand acts as an additional coach on the floor. If AMSA is struggling with receiving serves or defending shots in certain spots, she can rearrange the Eagles to better cover the space.

"She's very good at adapting quickly to gameplay and what's going on," Fiore said.

Potential: Franklin volleyball knows what it's capable of

Rand has been there so long it's at once hard to believe she's a senior and won't be there next year and incredible she's still impacting the Eagles.

"She has been such a staple on the team for so long. She's had some really strong teams where she's been controlling that back backline for us. It's gonna be weird when she leaves next year," Bengiovanni said. "Whenever you have a star player like that, you want to get her as many touches as possible."

Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk. 

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: AMSA volleyball libero Bella Rand spreading her wings as a hitter