Photo by Paige Levine

Senior Katelyn Woodard and her family before her name was announced.

Families, friends, past helpers and current coaches gathered in the gym to celebrate senior volleyball players on October 7th, 2025.

“I think we all knew we were going to be emotional before anything even happened,” said senior Sophie Erwin. “The other girls were working on putting this together for a while. We knew it would be something really sweet.”

The main gym was decorated with balloons, streamers and posters with heartfelt messages. Stands were filled with family members holding flowers, pom-poms, cards and plastic clapping hands. In a corner near the back entrance, overflowing baskets accompanied by framed photos of each player sat waiting to be retrieved after a tough game. An LED sign glowed beneath the announcer’s table, reflecting each girl’s face and name. It was a beautifully decorated area for a beautiful occasion. 

“Seeing all the people that showed up for us was my favorite part,” said Erwin. “I cried the whole time I was out there.”

A short but sweet ceremony was held prior to their match against Ashley. After giving a warm welcome to Ashley’s seniors, the announcer began reading aloud the four of our own. Each girl was accompanied by select family members, interlocking elbows and tearing up. After their name was called, they strutted toward the middle of the gym and shook hands with Principal Justin Hayes and Athletic Director Jimmy Fletcher. Photographers snapped a quick photo, and each group stood along the wall, preparing for the final group photo. 

“Us, the four seniors, have played together for so long,” said senior Kelsey Lykins. “It was so amazing to be able to share this experience with them and hear what they had to say.”

As each girl walked, the announcer read aloud some kind words prepared by each senior. Words of appreciation, love and bittersweet goodbye were shared over the loud speaker. Each prepared speech talked about their plans after high school, the significance of the team and their teammates, and all of the other words that they were too emotional to say themselves. Their words were left with the underclassmen of the team, motivating them for their years to come. 

“It was bittersweet and really just a night of emotions,” said Lykins. “It was a night of really great emotions.”