November 1 marked the end of the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball season and the final regular season games for six seniors. In the Wanda Nix Gymnasium, the Lady Hawks hosted Senior Day, the day when the seniors on the team are recognized for their work and dedication over their years as members of the volleyball team.
The ceremony started off with Coach Weinstein calling out the seniors’ names and the current juniors handing them flowers. This included many cheers from the fans in attendance and many pictures of what may be the last time the seniors will be together in uniform.
The team had never conducted a ceremony like this, so the seniors weren’t expecting anything at all. Senior Sarah Han said that the ceremony was “a pleasant surprise and receiving the flowers and hugs from the juniors was uplifting.” Sarah said that volleyball has had a huge impact on her high school life with many of her first friends being made through volleyball. She also said that “I don’t think I would ever go back and change the decision of joining volleyball.”
Another senior, Trina Cheng agrees, saying that “trying out for the team in freshman year was one of the best decisions I’ve made in high school.”
With the season coming to a close, so are the seniors’ volleyball careers. Most of the seniors won’t be continuing volleyball after high school so this is their last chance to be a part of a team. Many seniors realized this feeling of the last year on the court in the beginning of the season and many things were put into perspective.
Senior Suha Na Javeed said that she started to appreciate everything, such as team cheers and winning against division rivals even more. Trina added that she will “miss having something to look forward to after 9th band when I would rush to the locker room to change for practice.”
One thing all the seniors agree on is what they will miss the most, the bonds formed with their teammates. All of the girls have a common passion for volleyball which has translated into many friendships and memories. Bianca and Selina Feng feel that the best part of volleyball was being able to play a sport they love with girls who love the sport as much as they do.
But many different friendships were formed on this team. Suha said that she did not only meet friends through volleyball, but also formed a kind of connection where she could depend on them with anything she needed.
Selina agreed saying that because volleyball is a team sport where you really have to trust one another, she really got close to the girls knowing that they have had her back. Selina also feels that this year’s team has chemistry and that she “will miss her team since they are the ones who keep her energy up”.
In addition, Sarah included that the team has become a family and “that is something the conclusion of a season cannot take away.”
In a team speech, Coach Weinstein said that many coaches feel that coaching a bunch of girls is the hardest thing to do, but it was so easy for him because of how great the girls at Townsend are, not only because of their play but also their personalities. He expressed how honored he was to have coached such a great group of seniors in his first season at Townsend. Knowing that they are leaving makes quite emotional.
In the end, Senior Day at Townsend was capped off with a win over Queens High School of Teaching, 2 sets to 1. In this game, the seniors shined with Bianca having 10 service points, 7 of which were aces. Suha and Janice also had good games serving. Suha had 2 aces and 9 service points. Janice had 2 aces and 3 service points. In addition, Suha and Trina combined for 14 assists.
The Lady Hawks are playoff bounds after a one year drought. Although the seeding has not been announced, they will likely have a high seed because of their 7-3 record. The girls hope to extend the seniors’ careers just a little bit longer.
