Heart of the Axe: Wesley-Ann Bailey

It wasn’t until I watched the 2016 Rio Olympics that I fell in love with volleyball.

I was 16 at the time, and I remember watching both indoor and beach volleyball, telling myself I wanted to try out for my local club when September rolled around.

I was fortunate to be tall and athletic at my age, but in terms of skill, I was terrible.

But I was determined to get better.

In my time at Acadia, I’ve grown as a student, an athlete, and a person. Without Acadia, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

It’s been a long journey to get to this point, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it all.

The road to Acadia

I was raised by my single immigrant mother, and unfortunately, when I was five years old, she was murdered. This tragedy changed my life, and I had to go live with my aunt and uncle.

My childhood was hard, and I really struggled with my identity and who I was, among other things. I was angry all the time and was going down the wrong path. I was a terrible student.

Volleyball saved me.

It helped me believe that anything was possible, and it gave me the ability to go to school and get good grades. Thanks to volleyball, I joined my twin brother as the first people in our family to earn university degrees in May 2024.

Volleyball has allowed me to become the person I am, and I’m truly indebted to it.

I put my heart and soul into this sport, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to continue my volleyball career at the collegiate level.

But most people don’t know that I didn’t play many sports growing up, let alone volleyball.

I would run track because it was mandatory at school, and I would play on a random team if I was asked to, but I never played organized or club sports.

After falling in love with volleyball, I decided to try out for my local club team, the Ottawa Mavericks. Thankfully, I was tall and athletic, but I was still very raw.

I was in for a rude awakening.

The girls I was playing against had been playing volleyball for years. They were so much better than me, and I was seriously considering giving up.

But there was just something about volleyball that I couldn’t shake. I started to get better and better, and before I knew it, I was playing for the Mavericks U18 team at the provincial championship.

My favorite memory from my time with the Ottawa Mavericks would have to be winning the 18U Ontario provincials. It was a wild and rewarding feeling.

I can remember it like it was yesterday.

Funny enough, it was the day I met Becky Dorsey. I remember looking behind my bench because I could hear someone cheering for us. It was her!

Becky and I played for different clubs, but she was still there cheering us on.

I also won the provincial championship with Sydney Zakutney, who is an Acadia alum.

This was one of the most fulfilling athletic moments of my life.

The culture at Acadia

I transferred to Acadia after my first two years at York University. It wasn’t the right fit for me, and I needed a change of scenery.

When I was looking at schools, I thought to myself, which coaches did I love when I was getting recruited?

Michelle Wood was one of those coaches. I loved her then, and I still do. I would do anything for that woman.

I knew Acadia was the right place for me, and I was thrilled to join the women’s volleyball team and continue my academic journey.

This program has become my second family, and I’ve built relationships here that I’ll cherish for a lifetime. I’ve grown so much as a person and a player in my time at Acadia, and I’m forever grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way.

I can’t believe this is my fifth and final year at Acadia. Time really flies.

In my fourth year at Acadia, we won the 2024 AUS women’s volleyball championship, which was the first for the Axewomen program.

It was a dream come true.

This was the most special season of my career. The bond I had with my teammates was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and we were all on a mission to leave our mark at Acadia.

We had our ups and downs throughout the season, but we never lost sight of our goal. We fought through adversity and came together when it mattered most.

The championship game was an emotional rollercoaster, but we left everything we had out on the court, and it was the most rewarding feeling to see all of our hard work pay off.

I’ll never forget that day.

It was a moment I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, and I’m so grateful to have experienced it with such an incredible group of women. Every memory I made with that senior class of 2024 was a favourite memory of my time here thus far – including winning a white hat.

Getting to graduate with them, then deciding to return to Acadia to do my masters was a hard decision because I couldn’t imagine new Acadia memories without them in it.

The message I share

When I look back on my time at Acadia so far, the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that things are only unattainable if you let them be.

If you work hard and believe in yourself, anything is possible.

I’ve faced so much adversity in my life, but I never let it define me. I’ve always been determined to overcome any obstacle in my path, and my journey is a testament to the fact that you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

I live by the quote, “Nobody cares, work harder.”

Nobody wants to hear your excuse for why you can’t work hard. Just do the hard work.

When the going gets tough, bend, but don’t break.

I’ve learned this lesson on the court and in life, and it’s something I’ll carry with me wherever I go.

I’m not sure what the future holds for me, but I know I’m prepared for whatever comes my way.

My time at Acadia has prepared me for life after sport, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to my final season on the court with the Axewomen and all the memories we’ll make.

Heart of the Axe is a weekly feature from the perspective of Axemen and Axewomen student-athletes. It dives deeper into why they decided to attend Acadia, what drives them athletically, how they got started in their sport, the impact Acadia has had on them during their time in Wolfville and much more.