Lady Bulldogs get a win on senior night
Published 9:44 pm Friday, October 21, 2016
Emotions were running high for the Lady Bulldogs seniors as they got a win in their final regular season home game. The Lady Bulldogs faced Churchland High School in a conference game Thursday night, where King’s Fork High School won 3-0.
“That game was a big win for us, not just for the team but for us seniors,” Lady Bulldogs senior Lauryn Bailey said. “The win just made our night better than it already was.”
Bailey, Cydney Nichols, Latoya Thomas, Jordan Elder and Isabella Naccarato were the five seniors recognized for the Lady Bulldogs.
“It was very emotional, because it was our last home game together,” Bailey said of her and her fellow seniors. “The last set of the game we kept saying we didn’t want this to end. We wanted to keep playing. We didn’t want to walk off that court at all.”
“Playing next to these girls since my freshman year and knowing our season will end soon is bittersweet,” Thomas said. “We’ve all grown so much. We wanted that moment to last forever.”
The Lady Bulldogs have two games remaining in the regular season, both on the road, before the postseason starts. They can use this win against Churchland to build momentum, as they want to be playing their best volleyball towards the end of the season.
“Our team plays off of the hype of the game and the confidence we put into each other,” Lady Bulldogs senior Thomas said. “With our momentum, it will definitely prepare us for the tougher teams in our conference.”
On the boys’ side, the Bulldogs’ loss ended a three-game winning streak for them, though the team felt they played well.
“We played well in spurts; we just couldn’t get over the hump,” Bulldogs coach Kevin Howell said. “It was a good senior night, and the kids played well. They really wanted that win.”
Like the girls’ team, the boys’ team also had five seniors honored. Kevin Wiggins, Blake Sargent, Tristian Deguzman, Ian McBride and Nicholas Shifflet were the five Bulldog seniors.
“Every one of them has gotten better,” Howell said of his seniors. “A couple of them had never played volleyball before, and they were head and shoulders better than they were. Some of them also grew into leadership roles. They are a good group of guys.”
Next week proves to be very promising for the Bulldogs, as they have already defeated the three teams they face next week to close out the regular season.
“We really wanted that win against Churchland to keep our streak going,” Howell said. “The team’s confidence is up, and we are looking forward to a good week next week.
Both teams will be playing at Lake Taylor High School on Oct. 25. The girls play at 5:30 p.m., followed by the boys.