Senior year means a lot of last opportunities for many students, and heading into state playoffs this is the case for the girls varsity volleyball team. States are nothing new to the team, having made the playoffs every year for more than a decade straight, but that doesn’t make this year’s postseason any less special. For seniors Veronica Ballas, Emma Hanes and Caroline Hogan, these playoffs will be their last chance to play with their high school team.
“Going into the last postseason is such a surreal moment because it’s crazy how fast the years have gone by. It’s kind of sad to think these are the last games I’ll ever play,” Ballas said.
Hanes played JV her sophomore year and did not play her junior year making her senior year as a captain truly special, while Ballas and Hogan are no rookies to the team, having played volleyball for the Titans all four years of their high school career.
“We’re more of a younger team so I’ve worked to really communicate the old principles that the past seniors instilled in me and really get that across the board,” Hogan said.
Having lost five seniors last year, Ballas, Hanes and Hogan have had big shoes to fill, and it’s safe to say that they have risen to the occasion.
“The seniors are really supportive of us and always hype us up before games and during practice,” sophomore Taylor Alderman said.
The team finished 15-7 overall and 10-4 in conference play, securing third place in the 4A Central Piedmont Conference. The team’s 3-1 loss against East Forsyth on Oct. 12 to end their regular season did not stunt their buoyant attitude heading into the conference tournament.
“It was sad to go out on a loss because we ended up tied for second place and it didn’t really represent how our season went. I think mindset is harder to figure out because East had more momentum than us, so we have to figure out our own momentum,” Hanes said.
The Titans finished the conference tournament with a first-game win against Mount Tabor 3-0, a semifinal win against Davie 3-2, and a finals loss against Reagan 3-0. Heading into States, the Titans are seeded No. 15 in the state tournament and will play East Forsyth (seed No. 18) in the first round.
“Our volleyball team has put in many hours practicing and putting in work to correct things and get better at things we need to,” Ballas said.
Despite a devastating loss in the first round of playoffs last year against Cox Mill, the team is optimistic heading into this year’s first round that will be a home game at 2 p.m. on Oct. 21.
Having worked all year for this moment, they are ready for a state playoff run, and the last few sets for the beloved seniors.
