Selma High’s girls’ volleyball team has a current record of 10-18 now after their senior night. This season has been tough on them as a team.
“There’s been lots of ups and downs,” Kennedi Carrasco, the team captain and senior who plays libero, commented, “but the scores for each game have been pretty close.”
The team does not dwell on their losses and is instead constantly looking towards their next game and what to do to improve their performances.
“Every day at practice is unique and different in its own way,” Isabella Castro, a senior who plays Defensive Specialist (DS), stated. “Every drill varies depending on how the game before went.”
Despite the undesired losses, the team’s culture has reportedly been the best it’s been in many years.
“We have a way of getting in our own heads,” added Jenna Gonzales, a senior who plays outside hitter, “but we have our teammates that surround us to help us when we get into that slump.”
The players, seniors specifically, feel closer to their teammates than ever before. This is due to the fact that these seniors have been playing with each other for four years now and have cultivated a family like setting on and off the court. These girls have had lots of time together and made lots of memories throughout these years, forming strong bonds that they will not allow to be overshadowed by this season’s record. On the morning of their senior night, the rest of the team made breakfast for all of the seniors.
“Hash Browns, bacon, sausage, eggs, fruit, pancakes,” said Alyssa Salazar, a senior who plays right side DS, listing the food the underclassmen served them.
Along with this breakfast, the underclassmen of the team made sashes and crowns for each of the seniors. This act was in preparation for their big senior night game, along with just appreciating the senior teammates and allowing the underclassmen to serve them one last time before they move on to bigger things.
“It was very bittersweet,” Gonzales added, conveying the feeling that the senior breakfast gave her.
Actions like this are what help build the team’s uplifting and high spirited culture. The team going out and choosing to honor their seniors gives emphasis on the fact that they value each player. These small things that they do with each other all add up to bring the team close together as a whole.
As the seniors finish their last game against Kingsburg, they look back and reflect on the team that they’ve grown with throughout these last four years. They’ve made many memories and all show appreciation for the time that they had together. As they leave and move on to bigger things, they wish the best for the underclassmen who are going to take their places and form a new, different type of culture for their own team.
“I feel like they’re going to rise to the occasion and just do good because they’re that type of team,” said Gonzales, in a statement of encouragement toward the underclassmen.
