A Storybook Ending

The spotlight on Thursday night was placed on six special members of Nash Central’s volleyball team. It was senior night for the Lady Bulldogs, and these seniors definitely showed the crowd how talented they were.

Lady Bulldog seniors Donna Mosely, Kayla Sullivan, Emily Engelking, Careisha Leonard, Brittany Cherry, and Ashley Perry were honored in a pre-game ceremony while the culmination of four years of tireless hard work was being celebrated and venerated.

After these adulations were received, these remarkable young ladies took command and began their triumph over the Northern Nash Knights. With the absence of veteran head coach Frank Poyer due to sickness, Coach Sharletta Battle stepped in and took over leadership duties. This added a special sentiment to the game, and this intensified the will to win for the Lady Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs did drop their first set against the Knights 25-15, but this didn’t stop Nash Central. The Lady Bulldogs turned the page, and never looked back. While the focus throughout the night was on the seniors, sophomore Robbie Allen provided a spark that ignited the Bulldogs offense mid-way through the 2nd set. Nash Central would go on to win the 2nd set 25-11. The Lady Bulldogs also dominated the 3rd set, winning 25-12. Then, it was time for the 4th and, potentially, final set. Nash Central took an early lead, and it seemed as if the Bulldogs were going to come away with an easy win. Conversely, Northern Nash had other plants. The Knights were able to climb back and tie the set with the Bulldogs. However, it was senior night at Nash Central, and the Lady Bulldogs were going to do anything to escape with a victory.

Fortunately, this is when the tides turned. Nash laid it all out on the floor while holding anything back. The seniors definitely wanted to write a storybook ending on Thursday night, and they definitely showed how bad they longed for a victory. Each Bulldog on the floor played gritty, tough-nosed defense and played with limitless effort during each offensive possession. While leaving it all on the court, Nash Central won the 4th set against Northern Nash 25-23, and the Lady Bulldogs were able to write a storybook ending to a storybook career for six outstanding seniors.

However, this most certainly wasn’t the end to the night. We’ve all heard of storming the court at a basketball game or storming the field at a football game, but the Maroon Maniacs student section is one-of-a-kind and were able to create a new tradition on Thursday. In celebration, the students rushed the court and joined the players to rejoice in the thrilling events that had just transpired seconds ago. This certainly made it an unforgettable senior night for Kayla Sullivan, Donna Mosely, Emily Engelking, Ashley Perry, Careisha Leonard, and Brittany Cheery, who all played tenaciously with heart, passion, and skill to close out their last match played in the gym of Nash Central High School.