Senior Night Smack Down

Sabrina Ly

On Thursday night, 22 October, at approximately 6pm, loud cheering emanated from the gym as parents, students, and teachers could be found watching the much anticipated volleyball event, Senior Night. 

Volleyball Senior Night shone a spotlight on the seniors of both the girls’ and guys’ team. The eight seniors, consisting of six girls and two guys, would face the combined might of the both the volleyball teams.  The senior’s team consisted of Angelene Woo, Tayah Lee, Charlotte Combrink, Mary-Claire McIntyre, Karissa Steinkamp, Sarah Tan, Harrison Taylor, and Joseph Leech; they played three sets against their younger teammates with only two subs throughout the entire match. With seven out of the eight players having several years of experience under their belts, the match clearly featured a quality versus quantity aspect.

The first match started off with the combined team leading the scoreboard; however, within a short amount of time, the seniors quickly got into their groove and led the set until they claimed victory. With strong hitters such as Karissa Steinkamp and Charlotte Combrink, and experienced setters such as Tayah Lee and Joseph Leech, the game quickly picked up intensity as the seniors worked together to showcase their abilities. After the seniors won both sets by a comfortable margin, the coaches decided to play another set to fifteen points, with the seniors winning that set also. Neither team had coaches as the players coached themselves and organized their own line-up, ensuring that every player had an equal chance to play. Mr. Roylance, the boys’ volleyball coach, offered his services to ref the game, and Ms. Munson, the girls’ volleyball coach, acted as scorekeeper. The night ended with a flourish as all the volleyball players stood side-by-side and bowed to the crowd while the audience applauded.

When asked about her view of how Senior Night went, Karissa Steinkamp (12) said, “It was really enjoyable because we could just play freely without having any pressure of what our positions were and who won the game.”

Sarah Tan (12), when asked the same, responded, "It was really great to be able to finish off the season together in a fun, no-pressure game." 

Many players thought the night offered a way to honor the seniors and allowed the players to have one last fun game before they headed off to their season-end tournament the following week. The relaxing game provided entertainment for everyone in attendance and allowed good-natured rivalry between the seniors and the younger players.