Gallery • 9 Photos

Scott Jarvis

Assistant Coach Scott Sanders hugs Ali Tauchen `17 as she is honored during Senior Night. Photo by Leah Dusterhoft

Nine senior volleyball players took their home court for the last time in their high school careers on Tuesday night. They came out with a win, beating the Waterloo West Wahawks in three sets, 25-14, 25-12, 25-17.

For many players the game was a whirlwind of emotion.

“It was very surreal,” said outside hitter Emma Norris `17. “It just didn’t feel like it was our last season playing together. We still have a little bit of the season left, but it’s slowly coming to an end. Being out there on the court it was like we all grew up together, we played all four years of high school and it was super fun to just experience it one more time.”

But this game wasn’t just the last time these seniors will play with their high school teammates, Tuesday was the last time they would play with their best friends for the past four years.

“Most of them are my best friends,” said setter Aubrey Sowers `17. “A lot of us have grown up together and being in this gym for this last season has been mind blowing.”

“[We seniors are] like half of our team,” said back row player Carson Miller `17. “It’s really starting to kick in that pretty much everyone we know will be gone and it’s really sad.”

The seniors aren’t the only ones that will miss this group though. When Colby Greene `18 was asked to describe the senior group in a single word, she immediately knew her answer.

“Goofy,” said Greene. “Their personalities are so much fun to be around … It’s so sad, it’s hard to imagine playing high school volleyball without them. But I think we are going to be a really young team next year, but there will be girls that will step it up.”

Assistant coach Kim Humpal found it harder to sum up the team in just one word.

“They’re just like the team. I mean they have played together for so long,” said Humpal. “I remember coaching them their freshman year on their little freshmen team and it’s so cool to watch them grow and play on their final night.”

Many of the seniors will be continuing their volleyball careers in college.

“We are all really proud of each other because we all deserve to go where we’re going,” said Norris.

And some may even get the chance to play against their old teammates on their new team.

“I say it’s on because we aren’t teammates any more,” said Norris.

Six of the nine seniors will be continuing volleyball careers in college:

Maddie Fay  –   South Dakota State University

Ali Tauchen  –   Missouri Western State University

Aubrey Sowers  –   Missouri University of Science and Technology

Gabi Delsing  –   Mount Mercy University

Emily Halvorson  –   North Dakota State University

Emma Norris  –   Western Illinois University

Featured image courtesy of Jodi Ford.