Willa Ashford—Victoria Bello

Willa Ashford’s relationship with Victoria Bello is both affectionate and familial: Willa is one of Victoria’s godmothers, and her closeness to the child has grown alongside her long partnership with Victoria’s father, Vic Bello. The bond is shown not through grand declarations but through shared memories on the sand, a child’s eager welcome, and Willa’s resolve to protect her when danger seems possible. Victoria is not simply part of the volleyball world around Willa; she is someone Willa loves and feels personally responsible for.

A Childhood Beside the Court

Willa’s connection to Victoria began within the daily life of the beach court. After Vic’s wife, Sara, died of breast cancer when Victoria was less than a year old, he devoted himself to raising his daughter while continuing to coach Willa and Colleen Sherman. During the first couple of years after Sara’s death, Victoria stayed in a crib near the court. Willa’s recollection of those years is specific and tender: Victoria took her first unsteady steps on the sand, and the adults cheered as if she had won a gold medal. The celebration turned, almost at once, into play. Victoria laughed and clapped, then sat down in the sand and happily scooped it into her palms to throw into the air.

That memory places Willa among the adults who watched Victoria grow, and makes the court more than a workplace in their shared history. It was where Vic’s responsibilities as a father and coach met Willa’s life as an athlete and teammate. When Willa later remembers Victoria’s first steps, the scene’s small scale is part of its meaning: the child was not winning a match, but the people around her celebrated her all the same.

Familiar Affection

By the time Victoria is seven, her welcome for Willa is immediate and exuberant. When Willa arrives at Vic’s home, barking greets her at the porch and Victoria appears at the door, squealing. Willa bends to hug her. Victoria asks whether Willa has come to play and announces that she is getting good. Willa ruffles her curly brown hair, encourages her, and says they may play later, after she has spoken with Vic. She also gives Max, the dog, attention, rubbing his ears when he demands it.

The exchange reveals affection expressed through familiarity rather than ceremony. Victoria expects Willa to make time for her; Willa responds warmly, while still keeping the reason for her visit in view. When Victoria later pleads to play, Willa hugs her again and promises to find time soon. Victoria accepts the promise and skips away with Max following. The moment does not establish that Willa becomes Victoria’s coach, but it does show that playing together matters to the child and that Willa treats her request as worth answering, not dismissing.

Godmotherhood and Protection

Willa’s role is made explicit when she worries about Victoria’s safety. After Vic has an accident, Willa pulls Colt Fontaine aside and wonders whether the incident might be connected to the threatening notes; if it is, she fears for Victoria. Colt tells her that Vic has taken care of the situation and that Vic’s parents are picking Victoria up that day. Willa’s relief is immediate: she says she could not bear anything happening to the child.

Her fear is sharpened by the fact that she and Colleen had shared godmother responsibilities. With Colleen gone, Willa thinks of herself as the one left to carry that role. She says she would protect Victoria with her life. The scene links the tenderness of their earlier visits to a more consequential form of care: Willa is not only fond of Victoria, but understands her safety as a personal responsibility. The possible connection between Vic’s accident and the notes remains a concern, not a confirmed explanation, and Willa’s response reflects that uncertainty.

A Bond Within Willa’s Changing Life

Willa’s relationship with Victoria sits alongside a major change in Willa’s own relationship to volleyball. After Colleen’s disappearance and presumed death, Willa retired, took an unpaid assistant coaching position at a high school, and discovered that she loved teaching the sport. She later agreed to return to competition when the United States faced its last opportunity to earn an Olympic place, feeling that the legacy she shared with Colleen could not simply be abandoned. These choices do not make Victoria the cause of Willa’s career decisions, but they show the athletic world in which their bond has taken shape: Willa has moved between competitor and teacher, while Victoria has grown up watching the people around her live the game.

After Colleen’s rescue, Willa says she intends to start coaching, a direction consistent with the satisfaction she had already found in teaching. Victoria’s eagerness to play with her gives that future a personal echo, but the story leaves open whether they will play together again or what Willa’s coaching will become. What is established is more intimate and immediate: Victoria seeks Willa’s company, Willa answers with warmth and a promise, and the title of godmother carries a protective meaning when the child may be in danger.